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Authors: Anthony and Laura Ponter
Photographers: Anthony Ponter, Robert Holmes, Mike Spinelli, Ashley Ponter
Format: 216 Pages, Full Color, 11.75" H X 10.75" W
ISBN: 1-881407-50-0
Library of Congress: 92-81448

Excerpt from Spirits in Stone:

"For more than 1000 years, the Shona and their ancestors have lived and died on the land of Southeastern Africa. Theirs is a history of struggle and triumph over armed invaders, natural predators, disease, drought, famine and political oppression.

To combat the forces that threatened to tear them apart, the Shona developed myriad intricate and sophisticated social customs and beliefs, all of which still support one basic tenant: Live together and the culture will thrive."

"Steeped in the legends and traditions of this ancient African culture, Shona stone sculpture is a profound expression of human connections that transcend geography and time.

The husband and wife authors, one a Zimbabwean, the other an American, tell their story of coming to know the Shona sculptors and their work.

How can untrained artists from the African bush create such sophisticated and powerful stone sculpture?

Searching for answers, Anthony & Laura Ponter spent years traveling thousands of kilometers throughout Zimbabwe meeting with rural artists and talking with them about their lives and sculpture. Through lively text and colorful photographs, the authors not only illuminate the artists and their sculpture, but also the process of transforming raw stone into polished, evocative sculpture."

"In addition, the sculptors explain in their own words the source of their inspiration. They say the spirits of their ancestors come to them in their dreams to reveal the images that dwell within the rock. After quarrying the raw stone with pickaxe and pry bar, the carvers use handmade tools to release the spirits trapped within the multicolored serpentine.

Once released, the spirits soar with dynamic and mythical themes that strike deep within the wellspring of our collective consciousness. Collectors say their pieces call out to them, revealing what is perhaps a primordial link between distant lands and different cultures.

What are the origins of this remarkable art form, which though virtually unknown 40 years ago, is now internationally collected and acclaimed? Was it the smoldering of a long burning flame first ignited by ancient ancestors hundreds of years ago and preserved at Great Zimbabwe, or was it spontaneous combustion sparked by influences of the 20th century?"