Early written records described the giraffe as "magnificent in appearance, bizarre in form, unique in gait, colossal in height and inoffensive in character." Ancient cultures in Africa revered the giraffe, as some modern cultures do today, and commonly depicted it in prehistoric rock and cave paintings. Unknown outside of Africa, this animal so excited man's curiosity that it was sometimes sent as a diplomatic gift to other countries; one of the earliest records tells of a giraffe going from "Melinda" (presumably Malindi) in Kenya to China in 1415. The animal was thought to be a cross between a camel and a leopard, a mistake immortalized in the giraffe's scientific name of Giraffa camelopardalis.

 

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Shona Serpentine "Courting Giraffes" Sculpture

This lovely abstract sculpture is hand carved from a single piece of black serpentine stone by a master Shona artist.

The sculpture depicts an abstract of two loving giraffes "courting".

The highly polished stone is beautifully colored and patterned in shades of brown and black.

This piece is from Zimbabwe.

Dimensions: 5.5" x 5" x 1.5"

Weight: 1.2 lbs

Price: SOLD