'Owl' is an original opal serpentine stone sculpture signed by the contemporary Zimbabwean artist Joel Nhete. The artist presents in this sculpture a highly abstracted figure of a wide-eyed owl, its eyes like rings and its beak like a needle. The bird's head seems to be lilting in its balance on the curving neck, or perhaps turning to the side in curious attention. Such abstracted forms recall traditional African sculpture as well as the work of modern masters like Constantin Brancusi who looked to non-Western sources for inspiration. The sculpture's surface is brought to a beautiful polish, allowing the green of the serpentine to create a glittering depth as immense as a lake or river.

opal serpentine
36 x 22.5 x 11.5 inches
base in images included at request of buyer
signed "Nhete Joel" on reverse along bottom edge
with hole drilled in foot to accommodate 0.5-inch steel support rod
overall good condition; some minor wear and abrasions