Malachite Polished - Height: 4.5 cm - Width: 15.5 cm- 1307 g

You are bidding on an exceptionally impressive and completely solid specimen of a vintage malachite decorative bowl, which can also serve as an ashtray. This unique design object weighs no less than 1,307 grams and measures 4.5 by 15.5 by 9.8 centimeters. The object was manufactured in the 1960s or 1970s and is stylistically perfectly attributable to the luxurious Hollywood Regency and Mid-Century Modern movements of that period. It is almost certainly rooted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the former region of Zaire, which is worldwide renowned for the absolute top quality of this copper-containing mineral.

What makes this particular lot so special for both mineral collectors and lovers of high-end vintage interiors is the fantastic organic form and the impeccable natural patterning. On the top, the object is mirror-smoothly polished, allowing the deep green, concentric rings and the characteristic bullseye patterns to come beautifully into their own. The sides and especially the bottom have been deliberately left unfinished. Here the authentic botryoidal, or kidney-shaped growth structure of the raw mineral stone is perfectly visible. This is the ultimate proof that the bowl was carved from a single solid block of natural stone and is therefore not made from pressed powder or thin veneer work. The object is in structurally excellent condition without fractures, deep cracks, or old restorations, and shows only minimal, completely normal signs of aging in the form of micro-scratches along the edges that befit the respectable age of this heavy collectible.

Dimensions: 4.5 x 15.5 x 9.8 cm
Weight: 1,307 g