Frog Hand-carved from Leopard Stone

The Shona tribe of Zimbabwe, literally translated as "the house of stone," are considered by many to be among the world's finest sculptors. Modern Shona artisans select and quarry their own stones, just as they did thousands of years ago. Statues are hand-carved using simple chisels, polished with sand and beeswax, and heated on a fire to bring out their brilliant colors. Leopard stone is a hard yellow/green serpentine characterized by a striking pattern of dark mottling.