Stone Torso Sculpture

The female torso sculpture is hand-carved from serpentine stone.

The stone is polished with sand and beeswax and heated on a fire to bring out its colors. The sculpture comes in five heights from 6 to 20 inches.

The sculpture sits on a shelf, table or console, and the larger sizes stand on a floor.

We gravitate toward natural textures because tactile signals from C-tactile (CT) afferents journey through the lamina I pathways to the posterior insular cortex, the region responsible for bodily comfort and grounding (Craig et al., 1994; Björnsdotter et al., 2009). The tactile experience of rougher materials, including brushed wood, heavy linen, raw ceramics, and woven fibers, leads to greater insular activation and a more comforting physical groundedness feeling compared to smooth surfaces. When people need to feel more emotionally stable, they look for rich physical sensations to help them feel grounded. Any product with a natural texture provides this sensory anchor.

Details

• Material: serpentine stone, polished with sand and beeswax
• Sizes: 6, 10, 11, 16 and 20 inches (15, 25, 28, 41 and 51 cm) high
• Craft: hand-carved with simple chisels, polished with sand and beeswax, heated on a fire to bring out color
• Artist: James Chidzenga
• Origin: Zimbabwe