Showrooms

Studio Greytak 'Desert Rose Gypsum on Cast Glass' Desert Rose & Green Cast Glass

Creator: Studio Greytak
Offered by: Studio Greytak

Description
Desert Rose Gypsum on Cast Glass

Gypsum is the Cinderella of the mineral world. It is one of the most widely used non-metallic minerals, taking on critical, if sometimes unglamorous, roles in many components of daily life. And yet its beauty is also capable of taking center stage, the medium of celebrated artists throughout history and of nature itself.

The fine-grained version of gypsum, alabaster, was used for carvings of the protective deity lamassu which guarded the entrances to ancient Assyrian palaces. On the palace walls, thin slabs of gypsum were made into intricate reliefs depicting scenes glorifying the kings. In ancient Egypt, gypsum was used to create the great pyramids. Alabaster was used for sculptures throughout ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire, and for the religious Nottingham alabasters of Medieval England. During the Renaissance, artists discovered the use of gypsum to create great frescoes, the most famous of which is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel.

Not to be outdone, nature has created its own showstoppers with gypsum. In Chihuahua, Mexico, 980 feet below the surface and completely underwater, the Cueva de los Cristales glitters with giant crystals up to 39 feet long. And in the Tularosa Basin in New Mexico, massive, glistening dunes of sugar-like gypsum crystals roll through 275 square miles of desert creating the White Sands National Monument. As opaque rock, transparent crystals, or crumbled to sparkling dust, gypsum always shines.

Gypsum starts as a deposit in lakes and seas or even from hot springs or volcanic vapors. As bodies of water evaporate in arid environments, calcium and sulfate minerals mix and crystallize, forming gypsum. Different conditions create variations of the stone. Giant, solid sedimentary beds mark the location of ancient seas and provide alabaster for carving. When water tables drop, gypsum crystals bond together trapping sand between them in swirling petals, a formation called a desert rose. Transparent, colorless selenite grows when hot and cold waters share an environment and evaporate over time. When the crystals align like fibers in a sheet, it’s called satin spar.

Each form of gypsum has its own energy. Alabaster is the coincidence stone, drawing in the people and resources one needs at just the right moment. Desert rose nourishes with the power of the natural world. Selenite brings clarity and insight, shielding from negative outside influences. Satin spar casts a peaceful, tranquil light onto challenging situations. In general, gypsum helps one overcome feelings of being stuck and allows one to proceed with clarity and focus. Versatile, durable, and beautiful, gypsum can be relied on to keep things moving forward with energy and sustainability.

Materials
Desert rose gypsum
Cast glass

Colors
Tan
Green
White

More Information

Documentation:	Makers Label/Invoice
Origin:	United States, Montana
Period:	New
Materials:	Desert Rose Gypsum, Cast Art Glass
Condition:	New.
Creation Date:	2019
Styles / Movements:	Art Deco, Modern, Contemporary
Dealer Reference #:	555001082
Incollect Reference #:	378524