Sipho soapstone sculpture

A woman carved from a single piece of soapstone. She stands with her hands on her hips, with hair worked in rough stone. She is caught mid-turn, which gives her a different line from every angle, so she would do especially well in a spot you walk around.

The skin is polished dark and smooth against the pale, rough dress. She stands 24 cm tall, 10 cm across, and weighs 2 kg. Each figure is cut from its own block and finished by hand, so no two come out the same. Sipho is Ndebele for gift.

The craftsperson works alone in Zimbabwe, carving stone he sources near his home. Each figure is one piece of stone, with nothing joined, glued, or added on. The rough shape comes first, then the folds of the dress and the hair, and last the skin, which he rubs down and polishes to achieve the smooth, darker finish. The polished areas are then waxed.

Dust it with a dry cloth, and use a damp one when it needs more than that. Soapstone will scratch against anything harder than itself, so keep it clear of grit and lift it rather than sliding it across a surface. The sheen on the polished skin is wax, so keep detergent and hot water off it, and wax those areas again about once a year to bring it back.