A pair of slices highly saturated in color, from material sourced in the 1960s and cut in the 1980s. They came from a series of remarkable malachite stalactites available at that time, which are not found today at this level of quality. Sliced with care and polished to precision and a fine luster, each slice is backed by a slice of granite for added stability and to protect the malachite atop (a standard technique with large slices).
Master carver Nikolai Medvedev has worked in the stone carving industry for over 50 years, and has now semi-retired except for commission work. He is considered one of the greatest living stone artisans for his work on difficult stone slices, carvings, and in particular with making art boxes by layering stones (intarsia). He is originally from the Republic of Turkmenistan, where there is a rich heritage of textiles and craftwork. Following his love of art and painting, he studied at art institutes in Ashkhabad and Moscow. While he was studying, Medvedev visited museums in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, where he became enamored with the displays of intarsia. He eventually stopped painting, choosing instead to express his creativity through the art of stone.
They were sold by Medvedev to noted gem and mineral dealer Bill Larson, who built a large and well known personal collection of lapidary (carving and related) stone materials over 70 years in the business. Each slice comes with a precision made custom lucite base for easy and safe display.
9 x 5½ x ¾ in. (23.0 x 14.0 x 2.0 cm.) each
1.3 kg. each

Nicolai Medvedev.
Acquired from the above by William ("Bill") Larson.