The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania

The Gardens & Exhibits

General Information
Plant Collection
Arboretum Features
Horticulture Center
History
Mission and Vision
Tree Adventure
Garden Railway

Garden Sculptures

Select a Sculpture

Untitled (After Black Forest)
Two Lines Variable
African Queen
American Bull
Saint Francis
Cotswold Sheep
Gemination Sequence
Bronze Bell
Heart Pod
Inside Out
After B.K.S. Iyengar
John and Lydia Morris
Mercury
Stanchion
Sugarman Sculptures
Three Tubes

African Queen
Created by: Unknown Artist (Zimbabwe, Africa)
Material: Carved serpentine stone, undated
On loan from Carole Haas Gravagno

Zimbabwe is a center for contemporary stone carving in Africa. Its Tengenenge School attracts self-taught artists who enjoy working in a communal setting. Their art is called Shona sculpture, named after the country's largest tribe.

Like other examples, African Queen is carved from serpentine, an extremely hard and durable stone indigenous to Zimbabwe. Typically, each artist quarries the stone for his own sculptures. Respectful of the natural texture of the material, the artist who crafted African Queen retained its rough-hewn surface in the regal headdress surrounding the artfully modeled face.

meta Metasequoia