Greenstone sculpture a sonic treasure

A greenstone sculpture created by a West Coast jade artist has caught the ears of musicians and audio experts. 

The 30cm tendril, when struck, produces tones which are nearly as pure as a percussion instrument. 

‘‘Nephrite jade, or greenstone, has a number of unique features, including colour, translucency, hardness and sound,’’ Greymouth jade artist Ian Boustridge told the Otago Daily Times this week. 

‘‘An aspect of jade is it has a sonic quality. It rings with a very pure tone. It’s an area of jade sculpture which has really been unexplored by artists.’’ 

The artwork was sculpted from a 100kg greenstone boulder Boustridge found in the Marsden jade field, about 100km inland from Greymouth, in the early 1990s. 

‘‘When cut, it turned out to be a flawless example of the highest quality jade, which contributes to its purity of sound,’’ he said. 

‘‘It sounds a bit like a metallic triangle or gong.’’ 

Boustridge started carving the piece in 2000 and said it took ‘‘over 1000 hours’’ to complete. 

Canterbury University School of Music associate professor Chris Cree Brown said the sculpture emitted a chord with three predominant notes and resonated strongly for up to 30 seconds. 

‘‘The sounds it produces when struck are very pure and are derived from its unique shape and structure.’’ 

Prof Cree Brown has composed a soundscape from recordings of the tendril being played. 

‘‘The secret of bringing greenstone to life in art is to work with the stone and not against it,’’ Boustridge said. ‘‘The stone dictates what can or cannot be done, regardless of how skilled the sculptor may be.’’ 

Boustridge was described as one of the world’s leading contemporary jade carvers by National Geographic magazine in 1987. 

The tendril, which is for sale for $100,000, is being exhibited at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Christchurch.