Mid Century Malachite Vide-Poche, Congo, C.1960

Cut and polished from a single piece of solid Congolese malachite, the Katanga copper belt produces the finest material in the world. The dish reveals an extraordinary interplay of pattern types across its polished surfaces: tight concentric orbital "eye" formations, sweeping ribbon-band striations, and softly rounded botryoidal cloud forms, the whole moving between deep forest green, vivid emerald, and pale mint. The exterior retains the natural rough matrix in places, providing a powerful textural contrast to the mirror-polished interior and top.

Material: Solid natural malachite, Democratic Republic of Congo (Katanga)
Form: Free-form carved and polished bowl / vide-poche
Dimensions: L 13 cm × W 10.5 cm × H 4 cm
Condition: Excellent; no chips, cracks, or repairs visible; polish strong throughout