ONE Painted Kisii Soapstone Candlestick

Gorgeous

The Soapstone in the Tabaka Hills of Western Kenya is found throughout the Gucha area. The Kisii / Gusii community are renowned for their artistic skill. They have a long tradition of carving ornate decorative art and jewellery, together with functional items such as plates and bowls.  Our collection is carved and painted locally by artisans of the Kissi Tabaca Cooperative Society following fair trade principles.

Carved by hand from a single piece of rock, each piece is unique. The process involves carving under water or utilising running water from the local stream, so you can imagine the state of the carvers hands after thirty or forty years.  It takes an experienced carver about 2 hours to craft the basic shape of a small item such as a dolphin or hippo and then another hour to do the detail and polishing.   All decorated pieces are hand painted by the Kissi Tabaca women.

This is approximately 6" tall but can vary by upto 1cm.