Shona Woman

Over 1000 years ago, Shona people built great cities of stone in South Africa. They constructed monumental walls without mortar.  "Great Zimbabwe", believed to have been a royal palace, housed thousands within its walls.  The word Shona translates to "house of stone".  Verdite is a prevalent stone in Zimbabwe, sometimes referred to as "African Jade".  It is soft enough to carve with some ease, yet strong enough to sustain structure.  She likely wasn't a queen, but perhaps to her people she was. Her eyes held her whole life within them.  In her face, a clever thought. She is a guide, and a ground.