I carved  the Lion King from a 63.7 lb block of polyphant stone.   The back of the carving is left untouched showing the varied colours of the stone in its natural state.

The Lion King measures  about 16 inches high. 13 inches long  & 9 inches deep, and weighs about 40.12 pounds.

Polyphant stone is a type of Elvan, a name used in Cornwall and Devon for native varieties of quartz-porphyry.  Most of the Elvan quarries are now disused.

Greenstone is another name for this stone.  It is basically a greenish-grey in colour, but is often flecked with other unpredictable colours from many minerals and other impurities found in the stone.  Polyphant was often used for parts of buildings such as doorways so they could be finely carved. 

Around 400 prehistoric stone axes, made from greenstone, have been found all over Britain, which from petrological analysis appear to come from west Cornwall.  Although the quarry has not been identified, it has been suggested that the Gear, a rock now submerged half a mile from the shore at Penzance, may be the site.

The name Polyphant means 'Frog Pool' in Cornish.

Yvonne Jerrold

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