A hand-carved Egyptian Imperial porphyry cube, composed of two halves imperceptibly tessellating along a rough seam, by Ben Gaskell. Dimensions: 7.62 x 7.62 x 7.62cms

For the highly polished carved stone box offered here, Gaskell has chosen Egyptian Imperial porphyry, one of the rarest stones which was quarried only from the Red Sea Hills of Egypt - at a location referred to by the ancient Romans as Mons Porphyrites. So historically significant is the stone, the area where it was found has been named a World Heritage site. Gaskell respectfully approaches his chosen material, carefully shaping and polishing the stone, creating a nearly invisible-to-the-eye asymmetrical fissure along which it opens