Wood walking stick, 'King of the Lions'

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NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, searches the world to work directly with the finest artisan designers. Considered the king of all animals, the African lion is a regal and beautiful creature. George Obeng carves the mighty cat to crown a walking stick. He finishes the novel design with mansion polish. Artisan Info: George Obeng was born on March 30, 1952. His carvings are realized primarily in ebony wood, as the material is endowed with innate strength and beauty that requires no chemical enhancement. Mahogany, odum (oak), sese, and odanta are other woods he employs, although these need to be treated for preservation. Obeng prefers to leave his ebony carvings unpolished, he says, "Because the beauty and natural sheen of the wood in nature is left on perpetual display." The artist is motivated to carve by one principal theme: "Recording the events" of his time. As an animal rights activist and a committed vegetarian, wildlife plays an integral role in his work, such as the tenderness of the butterfly, the mischief of the monkey, the slowness of the snail, and the vivacious character of the bird. Each of his carvings is a poignant reminder of this critical juncture in the preservation of the global environment and communal ecology. Themes of the "Third World" also inspire Obeng's art. Depictions of female figures, often carrying children and heavy baskets simultaneously; comments on the cyclical problem of social confusion and irresolution, which extend into the

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