'African Queen' is an original opal serpentine stone sculpture signed by the contemporary Zimbabwean artist Chenjerai Chiripanyanga. The sculpture itself stands tall and proud like a totem, the queen's head atop. The treatment of the stone emphasizes the exquisite contrast between the polished body and face and the rough-hewn hair. The highly stylized face of the queen recalls masks from various African artistic traditions, much as Pablo Picasso experimented with at the beginning of the 20th century. Here, however, as Chiripanyanga was trained in the Shona sculpting tradition, the use of the mask form is much more self-referential. 

springstone
56 x 13.5 x 10 inches
265 lbs
Signed along base on reverse
Overall good condition; repaired crack and minor chipping along base