About Traditional Stone-Carving Tools
Many cultures have works created in stone. Some sculptures honored deities, while others were for ceremonial rituals. The traditional stone-carving tools used to create ancient works of art are similar in many ways to modern carving tools.
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Prehistoric Sculpture
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The art of stone sculpture predates written history. One of the oldest known pieces is the Venus of Willendorf, which dates to approximately 25,000 B.C. Sculptors used stone choppers, flake tools and hand axes to give form to sculptures.
Historic Tools
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Ancient Egyptians created massive sculptures using a variety of chisels, mallets and hammers made of copper or bronze.
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Significance
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Modern stone-carving tools have changed very little since the days of ancient Egypt. The biggest difference is that modern tools are made of steel.
Function
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Each type of tool has a different function. Sculptors use chisels to carve directly into the stone surface. They use hammers and mallets to strike the carving chisel.
Benefits
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Traditional tools are time-consuming to use, but according to classically trained sculptor Jason Arkles, the final product is superior. He argues that power tools are less labor-intensive, but traditional tools provide fine details.
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References
- Photo Credit stone carving image by sming from Fotolia.com
