Richard Mteki and Shona
Untitled
Shona, 1994
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Physical Qualities
Stone, 43.6 x 18 x 13 cm.
Credit Line
Gift of W. Stephen Wilson, Baltimore
Object Number
2003.154
Carved from heavy stone, these human figures are part of a long and storied tradition of figurative stone sculpture in today’s Zimbabwe. Following the country’s independence in 1980, artists drew inspiration from the eight soapstone carvings of birds found in the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a powerful medieval kingdom that ruled the region between the 12th and 15th centuries. For contemporary Zimbabwean artists, creating stone sculpture connects them to their ancestors and to their past.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2003; W. Stephen Wilson, Baltimore, MD; purchased from the artist, c. 1995.
Kevin Tervala, Wurtzberger Gallery rotation, June 6, 2022-
Inscribed: R. Mteki 95
On View at the BMA