steatite

Art History

(noun)

A stone which contains a large amount of the mineral talc and is easily malleable; also known as soapstone. 

Related Terms

  • Bronze Age
  • lapis lazuli
World History

(noun)

Also known as Soapstone, steatite is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is very soft and has been a medium for carving for thousands of years.

Related Terms

  • Indus Script
  • chalcolithic period
  • ip

Examples of steatite in the following topics:

  • Indus Valley Civilization

    • Archaeologists have excavated sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry, elaborate beadwork, and anatomically detailed figurines in terracotta, ceramic, bronze, lead, tin, and steatite from the ancient Indus Valley area.
    • Raw materials found only in distant regions, such as lapis lazuli and steatite, were imported for artistic use.
  • Harappan Culture

    • Indus Valley excavation sites have revealed a number of distinct examples of the culture’s art, including sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry, and anatomically detailed figurines in terracotta, bronze, and steatite—more commonly known as Soapstone.
    • The Indus River Valley Civilization created figurines from terracotta, as well as bronze and steatite.
  • The Stone Age

    • These figurines were carved from soft stone (such as steatite, calcite, or limestone), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired.
  • Paleolithic Sculpture

    • These figures are all quite small, between 4 and 25 cm tall, and carved mainly in steatite, limestone, bone, or ivory.
  • Ceramics

    • Other raw materials can include feldspar, ball clay, glass, bone ash, steatite, quartz, petuntse and alabaster.
  • Ancient Egyptian Art

    • Carvings  of vases, amulets, and images of deities and animals were made of steatite.
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