Stone carving is not common in Africa. In Zimbabwe, it took off in the second half of the 20th century under a double impulse: a school of sculpture, founded by Zimbabwean sculptors (Mukarobgwa, Mariga...) and curator Frank McEwen; soon after, a landowner in Tengenenge, himself a sculptor, opened his serpentine quarries to artists.

Although political sanctions limited access to the country for a long time, "Shona" sculpture, named after the dominant ethnic group, quickly emerged as an artistic renaissance in southern Africa and found many promoters. Both the British Museum and the Musée du Quai Branly acquired beautiful of what some consider to be the most important African art movement of the century.

Many Zimbabwean sculptorsare full-time artists, committing themselves to working entirely by hand, with complete aesthetic freedom and confidence in their often proximal inspiration: emotions, spirituality, family, nature. The exceptional variety of stones in the region, some of which semi-precious, allows for productions with dense and complex colours.

Quatrième is proud to distribute unique, beautiful and diverse pieces, just like their creators.