Semiprecious Stone Mosaic Flower Vase

About this piece

Details: Origin: Kabul, Afghanistan Age: Circa 2001-2003 Dimensions: 10” height, 4.5” diameter, 3.5” opening Description: This beautiful, one-of-a-kind mosaic flower vase was hand crafted in a workshop in Kabul, Afghanistan by a master craftsman who traveled to Italy to learn the advanced crafting methods used by talented Italian artists. When the master craftsman returned to the workshop in Kabul, he shared the Italian techniques and tools with other artists, and created this vase using these highly specialized skills. The connection points between the stones are so precise that the vase appears and feels smooth and round, even though it was assembled from many different pieces of stone. Each piece of stone was hand cut and shaped to fit precisely with the other stones. In addition, each piece had to be cut and assembled in exactly the right way to achieve the nearly perfect roundness of this three dimensional piece of art. This vase was engineered and assembled by hand without the use of a mold. The original artist took approximately 2-3 months to create this vase. If taken care of properly, it could last thousands of years and eventually become a museum piece. The vase composition consists of lapis lazuli , jade, black onyx, red onyx, rose coral, and marble. Each stone was naturally sourced and mined in Afghanistan before it was cut and assembled into this vase. Each piece of semi-precious stone is valuable in itself.