Malachite carved pair of tortoises/turtles. African....
Malachite carved pair of tortoises/turtles. African., I am selling a lovely pair or malachite tortoises (turtles?) which I bought out in West Africa when I lived out there in .The larger tortoise's maximum dimensions are:Length 80mm Height 25 mm Width 55mm On my not terribly accurate kitchen scales, they weigh 260 g, but think they weigh a little low. These are a gorgeous example of African hand carving. The under sides of the tortoises are unpolished and show naturally occurring malachite before it is polished. You can still see the marks made by the person who originally carved it.Malachite is a bright green gemstone that is actually an ore of copper and is found wherever copper is mined. Malachite is usually crossed with bands of different shades of green, ranging from bright sea foam to the characteristic emerald green, to very dark blackish green. The beauty of malachite lies in its unusual, eye-soothing soft deep green colour and the bands of colour in the the stone when is it expressed artistically in the carving of it. Skilled artisans can incorporate the coloured bands of the malachite into the design of a carving or piece of jewellery. It has been used as an ornamental material by people for thousands of years, from the Far East to Ancient Greece, where it has been carved into statues and statuettes, miniatures, beads and jewellery. A few other items in malachite for sale also. I am slowly selling my lifetime's collection of ornaments, crockery etc, ready to downsize, so please see my other items for sale. £, Folkestone, .