Black Rhino Bust. Sold but can be commissioned.

Lime Wood.
Hand carved original.
Overall height approximately 40cm.
Length 33cm.
Width 22cm.
This piece has sold, but a similar sculpture can be commissioned. Please contact for further information.
Delivery charged at cost.

This black rhino bust is hand carved from lime wood and then randomly stained with water based inks. I wanted to try something different with this bust, so I carved in a looser way than usual and used different tools to finish the piece, including an old chain saw chain blade.

I wanted to achieve a more random result as a more random finish can sometimes appear more natural than a perfect finish. There are several options for how this piece is mounted (different types of wood, black granite, plus others) that can be discussed to suit a clients preferences.

Black rhinos are also known as hook lipped rhinos, which seems a much more accurate name.  Their top lip is a prehensile appendage which they use to browse trees and bushes.  White rhinos (the name, I believe, is derived from “wide lipped”) have flat lips which are more suitable for grazing the grasslands. Three species of black rhino are extinct including the Western Black Rhino which was declared extinct in 2011.

Black rhinos have a reputation of being more aggressive than white rhinos, and when we were lucky enough to suddenly come across a black rhino (hidden among some trees) when on a walking safari in SA, it must be said that the guide was noticeably apprehensive and backed us off very quickly and quietly to quite a distance.