Global Crafts

Elephant Soapstone Tea Light - Black Finish with Etch Design

Name: Elephant Soapstone Tea Light - Black Finish with Etch Design
Brand: Global Crafts
SKU: KSAETL-BK
Price: 24.49 USD
Availability: InStock

$24.49 USD

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Hand-carved from a single piece of Kisii soapstone by African artisans, this elephant tea-light holder is a fun way to add a global touch to your home, office or outdoor space. Elephants are a symbol of strength, and a reminder of support for anyone facing a long, hard journey - for yourself, or your tribe of family or friends.

Measures approximately 2.5-inches tall by 4-inches long by 1.75-inches wide.
Hand-painted in a lustrous black finish with etched design detailing
Holds a standard size 1.5-inch tealight, votive candle, or get creative with a small succulent or crystals (not supplied).
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 that 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 works with shovels, picks, axes and machetes to carve out large soapstone chucks, which are then carved into beautiful art.

About the Artisans

Our Soapstone is carved by the artists of SMOLArt a group of artists who live in the rural village of Tabaka, Kenya, the heart of Kenya's soapstone carving region. The name, a shortened version of Small, Medium, and Large Artists, refers to the size of the soapstone products the artisans make, not their stature. Established in 1990, SMOLArt is a member of the WFTO, and as such assures that the artisans are paid a fair price for their work. In addition, the organization support community development by contributing to projects that improve living conditions, education, and health of their members and the village at large.

Soapstone is mined from great pits in the area surrounding Kiisi, Kenya. The mined soapstone is then delivered to carvers who carve sculptures from the natural stone for the wholesale market, the color of which ranges from cream, to pink, to brown, to yellow, to black, to a marbling of all of them. Once carved, the craftspeople smooth rough edges of the soapstone with sandpaper dipped in water and polish the piece to a high gloss or paint African motifs in brilliant colors with etched accents.