CARVED EBONY RHINOCEROS FROM TANZANIA BEAUTIFUL WOOD PATINA

Description

CARVED EBONY RHINOCEROS FROM TANZANIA BEAUTIFUL WOOD PATINA.
RHINOCEROS CARVED EBONY FROM TANZANIA
I worked in Tanzania for several years and had theopportunity to meet several wood carvers. I liked the work of Bilalia carver from Msangi forest, several hours south of Dar es Salaam. During my time there I had him carve severalpieces including 7 feet tall Maasi Male and Female pair as well as thispiece. He lived about 15 kilometers offthe main road with access mainly via bike trail and off road. I will include pictures
Many of the carved ebonypieces that are all black are either stained black or polished using black shoepolish. I prefer the natural colors ofthe Ebony wood which are a mix of black and white. The pieces I had carved are not stained orpolished. They are however oiled. In the pictures you will also see some blacklines in the white sections of the wood. These are natural splits or flaws in the wood which were filled with amix of ground chips and glue and then sanded. There are also some in the black section of the wood, but they aredifficult to see. The way the rightfront and rear feet are carved makes the carving a little wobbly on a solidsurface I have small felt pads on those two feet to help balance it. It will not stand on a soft surface such as acarpet unless you provide some stiff support.
Overall, it is a beautifulpiece not carved for the tourist market but rather to my specific request.