Among the different types of sculptures, rock and stone sculptures and carvings are among the oldest as the human spirit felt the need to express itself from the earliest times of humankind. Even if in the beginning stone sculptures were probably meant to depict gods and other spiritual forces, thus meant to have more like a functional purpose, in time things have changed and stone sculptures have been created also for the sake of art, to express the artistsí feelings, thoughts or just to reproduce things around them, for decorative purposes.

 

As the name has it, stone sculptures are made in or of stone, stones of different kinds. Since stone is a very hard material, stone sculptures take a lot of time and effort to make, not to mention the artistic process beyond the carving, splitting and polishing/finishing them. Special tools are also necessary together with physical strength to create stone sculptures.

As we mentioned above, stone sculptures are among the oldest creative manifestations of the human spirit and thought. Think of the prehistoric stone sculptures from New Guinea, the Aztec stone sculptures heritage; think of the Colossus of Rhodes. These are just a few examples of how old stone sculptures are. Apparently, the earliest known works of Oceanic stone sculptures are a series of ancient stone figures unearthed in various locations on the island of New Guinea, primarily in the mountain regions of the interior. The stone sculptures in New Guinea fall into three basic categories: mortars, pestles, and freestanding figures. The tops of many pestles are ìdecoratedî with human heads, birds, or bird’s heads. The mortars represent both anthropomorphic and avian motifs, as well as geometric motifs. Freestanding figures include representations of human beings, birds, and phalluses, together with long-nosed animals that some scholars identify as echidnas.

The original significance and function of these stone sculptures is still unknown; they might stand for totemic species or ancestors and were probably meant for use in rituals. The Aztec stone sculptures are the culmination of a long Mesoamerican tradition in stone carvingófrom volcanic rock to semi-precious stones such as jadeóinto objects and monuments of all kinds. The Aztec stone sculptures depict gods, ideals of female beauty, birds and animals as well as geometric shapes. Specialists distinguish between the different types of stone sculptures, based on the type of working on the material: carving, sculpting, and based on the type of material used. Regarding the materials used to make stone sculptures, there is a wide variety from which you can choose. Thus, marble, dolomite, limestone, rocks, semi-precious stones/gems, etc can be used in creating stone sculptures.

Posted by Phillipe / Home Sculptures