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Mother and Child Kenyan Soapstone Sculpture
from Kenya
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The Mother and Child Statue is made of polished and sturdy soapstone and is unique to this region of Kenya, East Africa. This sculpture comes from a soapstone workshop owned by Pauline Ntombura, an amazing woman who established a soapstone workshop which now employs more than 800 people (about 50% are women).
Pauline and the Kenyan artisans thank you for your support and your interest in their soapstone creations.
Each statue is 2.5" wide x 4" high .
Item #: GFT-608
Price: $18.00
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More About this Sculpture
The African villagers retain all of the fill, so when they have extracted the soapstone, they refill the pit. After 5-10 years the soapstone begins to re-form, and so new soapstone becomes available
The local people who own the land actually live on it -- their houses are next to the pits and they are paid by the kilo for the soapstone that is removed. Their property is very valuable, so the houses stay within the families, and the people are very motivated to keep the land in good condition. In general, the men do the mining, carving and painting, and the women do the sanding, polishing, washing and packing.
An amazing woman in Kenya, Pauline Ntombura, is the inspiration behind these wonderful soapstone products. Pauline grew up as the daughter of a tribal chief in the village of Kisii in southwest Kenya. Bucking the tradition that women stay in the home, Pauline obtained her education and established the soapstone business.
The fair wages Pauline pays ensures the artisans can afford decent housing, education for their children and basic healthcare.
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock consisting mostly of the mineral talc. Sometimes known as steatite, it's very soft and frequently used for sculpting. When they mine the soapstone they essentially dig a big pit in the ground (maybe 50-75 feet in diameter) using picks and shovels. The earth isn't gouged by heavy machinery.
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