{"product_id":"roaring-lion-on-a-rock-outcrop-stone-statue-120cm","title":"Roaring Lion on a Rock Outcrop Stone Statue - 120cm","description":"\u003ch3\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA lion stands on a rock outcrop, roaring, its head turned to the side and the near forepaw lifted onto a raised spur of the rock. The mane is cut in long combed waves that break into a fringe below the chest, the ribs and shoulder show through the coat, and the tail hangs low with the tip curled forward. The base is a naturalistic outcrop with broken faces rather than a squared plinth. The body of the stone is a deep beige and the mane and the rock are cream, banded together as one piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCarving a Stone That Has Holes in It\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a porous stone. Its surface is not solid all the way through: it carries small voids that run with the bed of the material, and they are visible in the finished piece because they cannot be removed. That changes how it is worked. A chisel driven into a void does not cut, it collapses the wall beside it, so the stone is cut with lighter blows and more of them than a marble would need, and the carver follows the bed rather than crossing it wherever a form allows. Where a void opens in an exposed place it is left open. It is not filled, because a filler takes colour differently from the stone around it and shows up as a patch within a season of being outside.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe base is carved as broken rock, not as a plinth, so this lion is designed to sit into a setting rather than on top of one. It looks right emerging from low planting, at the edge of a rockery, on a bank, among grasses or set into gravel where the carved outcrop can run into real ground cover and the join stops being obvious. A formal paved terrace works against it. At 120cm the roaring head is around chest height and turned to the side, so approach from that side. Porous stone weathers and darkens outdoors, which suits it; it should not be sealed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eA Rock Base Belongs in Planting\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwelve to fourteen weeks, and a porous stone is slower than its size suggests because every cut is taken lighter. The outcrop is blocked out first with the raised spur left generous, since the lifted forepaw has to be fitted to the rock rather than the other way round. The body is then roughed standing, with the belly kept clear. The mane is the paler band of the stone and is worked in long waves that follow the bedding, so the colour change reads as part of the carving instead of cutting across it. The fringe below the chest is undercut last of the mane work. Head and jaw come at the end. Any voids that open during carving are left as found. Lion and outcrop come from a single piece, with nothing pinned or filled. Our main studios are in the UK (Birmingham) and Dubai, with additional global workshops. Around 1,008kg as one piece, moved on a pallet and then bedded onto a prepared concrete pad.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther standing beasts are in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/animal-sculptures\"\u003eanimal sculptures\u003c\/a\u003e, and outdoor pieces under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/garden-statues\"\u003egarden statues\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable class=\"spec_table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e120cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBase\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIncluded\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand-Carved Natural Stone\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Giant Sculptures","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53832724742491,"sku":"MST-ANI-029","price":15300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/3383\/2027\/files\/MST-ANI-029_1.jpg?v=1787147753","url":"https:\/\/giant-sculptures.com\/products\/roaring-lion-on-a-rock-outcrop-stone-statue-120cm","provider":"Giant Sculptures","version":"1.0","type":"link"}