Cherokee Soapstone

Description

The early Cherokee created some of the longest lasting and some of the most culturally connected artwork we have ever known. By scratching lines in stones as large as a house they were able to create maps with images that reflected the world and things within and upon it, at the same time stone carving as we think of it today was also being created. Small carvings on stone beads and small sculpture for jewelry were as popular thousands of years ago as they are today. In the past, artists would have used stone tools made of flint. Today, many modern Cherokee use a variety of old and new tools, and ways of working the stone. Pipestone and soapstone are found throughout Cherokee country and today many artists reflect the same stories and images in the stone that were used by our ancestors.