Handmade Zebra Soapstone Sculptures, Set of 2

$28.74

Handmade Zebra Soapstone Sculptures, Set of 2

$28.74
Product description

This set of two complementing Zebra sculptures is each hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone by African artisans and painted in opposite patterns to create an interconnected balance.

Each measure approximately 2-inches tall by 3-inches wide.
Natural soapstone finish with black stripes; Painted black finish with natural stripes.
Soapstone is a soft, natural mineral from the earth, making it easy to carve into many forms. Handle with care to avoid breakage.
Each piece has gone through multiple stages of sanding and waxing, giving the soapstone a satiny finish.
Socially responsible products empower consumers to purchase according to their values and help alleviate global poverty.
Fair Trade is an alternative business model that values safe workplaces, fair wages, and community investment for factory employees.

Story Behind the Art: Each sculpture is artfully hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone, found only in the hills of southwestern Kenya. Mining the soapstone from surface hills is a labor-intensive process, using little to no machinery. Laborers work with shovels, picks, axes, and machetes to carve out large soapstone chucks, which are then carved into beautiful art. ​

We believe that hardworking African artisans, producers, and export agents hold the key to their own personal success and that the path to success requires a steady, committed pace. We can extend each artisan's channel of trades from local markets to the global marketplace, all the while providing them with options to work from the comfort of their own homes and communities. Secure in the knowledge that the fair payment they receive will not be reduced by traveling expenses, childcare costs, and haggled prices, most artisans in the network promote their family's future by using earnings to put food on the table and pay educational expenses for their children.

Fair Trade Federation, a group of like-minded companies and organizations that adhere to:
providing fair payment to workers in developing nations
educating artisans and workers to increase their potential for advancement
ensuring the rights of children
developing products and processes that protect and conserve the natural environment
promoting fair trade as the standard in commercial exchanges