{"product_id":"stories-in-stone-the-enchanted-gem-carvings-of-vasily-konovalenko-1","title":"Stories in Stone: The Enchanted Gem Carvings of Vasily Konovalenko","description":"Vasily Konovalenko’s unique, dynamic, and theatrical sculptures stand alone in the gem-carving world—bawdy but not salacious, political but not diplomatic, boisterous and exuberant yet occasionally sensitive. Stories in Stone offers the first comprehensive treatment of the life of this little-known Russian artist and the remarkable history of his wonderful sculptures.\n\nPart art catalogue and part life history, Stories in Stone tells the tale of Konovalenko’s impressive works, explaining their conception, creation, and symbolism. Each handcrafted figure depicts a scene from life in the Soviet Union—a bowman hunting snow geese, a woman reposing in a hot spring surrounded by ice, peasants spinning wool, a pair of gulag prisoners sawing lumber—painstakingly rendered in precious stones and metals. The materials used to make the figurines are worth millions of dollars, but as cultural artifacts, the sculptures are priceless. Author Stephen Nash draws upon oral history and archival research to detail the life of their creator, revealing a rags-to-riches and life-imitates-art narrative full of Cold War intrigue, Communist persecution, and capitalist exploitation.\n\nAugmented by Richard M. Wicker’s exquisite and revelatory photographs of sixty-five Konovalenko sculptures from museums, state agencies, and private collections around the world, Stories in Stone is a visually stunning glimpse into a unique corner of Russian art and cultural history, the craft and science of gem carving, and the life of a Russian artist and immigrant who loved people everywhere.\n\nCo-published with the Denver Museum of Nature \u0026amp; Science, home to the most significant collection of Russian gem-carving sculptures by Vasily Konovalenko in the world.\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 1607325020\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: DBV.1607325020.G\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Good\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Nash, Stephen E.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: Gently used with minimal wear on the corners and cover. A few pages may contain light highlighting or writing, but the text remains fully legible. Dust jacket may be missing, and supplemental materials like CDs or codes may not be included. May be ex-library with library markings. Ships promptly!  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dream Books Co.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41511210745914,"sku":"DBV.1607325020.G","price":498.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/6011\/0138\/files\/1607325020-0_04d0d34b-87ad-4c9c-b840-a10862baf5c1.jpg?v=1783471852","url":"https:\/\/shop.dreambooksco.com\/products\/stories-in-stone-the-enchanted-gem-carvings-of-vasily-konovalenko-1","provider":"Dream Books Co.","version":"1.0","type":"link"}