Description
Carved from solid dark soapstone, this pair of rhino bookends forms a complete walking rhinoceros when placed together, each half serving as a bookend with a flat vertical spine to support the spine of a book. The animals are rendered in a simplified, sculptural style typical of Southern African stone carving, with detailed ears, incised nostrils, textured horns, and stylized musculature along the flanks and legs. Signature/marking present as shown; attribution not verified. Inquire for details.
Each half sits on its own oval base, and the underside of the bases carries an incised signature reading “L. Sibanda” along with faint scratch marks resembling a tally or edition number. The stone has a smooth, hand-finished surface with a soft matte-to-satin sheen typical of polished soapstone, and the two pieces align seamlessly at the rhino’s midsection to complete the figure. A small strip of blue masking tape with a penciled number is affixed to the underside of one base, consistent with an old inventory or price tag.
The bookends are in solid, stable condition with no chips or cracks visible in the stone. Surfaces show light handling wear and scattered fine surface scuffs consistent with age and normal display use, but the carving detail throughout the horns, ears, and legs remains crisp and well defined.
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