Zambia, Southern Africa · Bushman Tribe
Best sellerGiraffe
Piece #G001
$2851 foot
Our signature, our best seller. Thousands have been shipped worldwide, from Japan, to Brazil, to right here in New York City. They have been sought out by celebrities like Alicia Keys, Spike Lee, George Clooney, and Eartha Kitt. Our giraffes are hand carved and hand painted in Zambia from one piece of pure teak wood. Each giraffe has a unique, organic posture. Some are more elegant, exemplifying female giraffes. Others are more rigid and statuesque, exuding male characteristics. Giraffes that are smaller in height are more fragile and delicate, and lend themselves to a child form.
Sold individually. The price is for one giraffe
Also made to 16 feet. Ask about 11 to 16 feet
Origin
Zambia, Southern Africa
Medium
Hand Carved Teak Wood
Construction
One piece
of wood
Heights
1 foot to 16 feet
Tribe
Bushman
Choosing a height
A 1 foot giraffe is a table piece. A 9 foot giraffe is architecture
A table piece A one foot giraffe stands on an accent table, inside a storage cabinet, a bookshelf, a side table or a mantel. Can be styled among vases and books, or on its own with nothing beside it
Floor standing Tall enough to hold a corner without any other decor or furnishings. Short enough for a standard 8 foot ceiling
An entryway, stairwell or corner of a room
Atriums, galleries and commercial spaces Contact us
Buying more than one
How many giraffes should I get?
A single giraffe is a beautiful piece of decor. A group of giraffes turns heads, raises eyebrows, and has a wow factor for any guests who visit your home. It has a sense of completeness, and is the arrangement almost every customer ends up with.
A herd has a tall one, a middle one and a small one. Three heights beside each other read as a family and fill a corner properly
Most pick 5 to 7 giraffes, usually one for each member of their family. It is why nearly every photograph on this page shows more than one, and it is the version that becomes a conversation starter rather than an ornament
Shipping is quoted per order, not per giraffe. Two or three packed together cost far less than the same pieces sent separately, so a group bought at once stretches your investment
Clients have them in their home for decades, in mint condition. They pass them onto their children. Buying the group now means the set stays together when it is handed on
Video
Photographs don’t do these pieces justice
Forty seconds of the video will tell you more about how statuesque these are than any picture can
In the home
Where our clients put them
Since 1983
“Thousands have been shipped worldwide, from Japan, to Brazil, to right here in New York City.”
Pieces have gone to
The Tradition
African Wood Carving
Wood has long been the great sculptural material of Africa. Carved from a single trunk, each piece carries the grain of the living tree and the marks of the hands and tools that shaped it.
- Wood
- Ebony, teak, jarrah, cherry and local hardwoods
- Made
- By hand, from a single block
- Tools
- Adze, knife and chisel
- Made for
- Ceremony, decoration and storytelling
The woods we carry
Ebony wood
A dense, heavy wood that grows slowly, with an almost black heart and pale outer wood from the same log that carvers often use together in one piece
Teak wood
A strong hardwood of warm golden brown, resistant to weather, that deepens in tone with age
Jarrah wood
A very dense, deep red hardwood that darkens to a rich reddish brown as it ages
Cherry wood
A wood with a fine, even grain and a warm reddish tone that grows richer the longer it is exposed to light
Animals in African Art
The Significance of Animals
In African art an animal is rarely just an animal. It can stand for a king, a clan, an ancestor or a lesson, and its meaning changes from one people to the next.
- Stands for
- Power, family, and a good harvest
- Teaches
- Right from wrong
- Seen in
- Masks, brass figures, stone and wood sculpture
Animal symbols
Nigeria
Leopard
A symbol of the king
Cameroon
Elephant
A symbol of power
Mali
Antelope
A symbol of farming and a good harvest
Zimbabwe
Lion
A family symbol for many Shona clans
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get one giraffe or the group in the photograph?
One. The price shown is per giraffe, at the height you select. Almost every photograph on this page shows several because customers usually buy multiple giraffes at different heights and stand them as a group.
To buy a group, add each height to your cart separately.
Which height should I choose?
Measure your ceiling and subtract at least 6 inches. A 5 foot giraffe suits a standard room. A 7 foot or taller giraffe is suitable for an entryway, a corner, a stairwell or a large open space.
If you are unsure, send us a photograph of the room and we will help you select the right giraffes for you.
Can I get one taller than 10 feet?
Yes, up to 16 feet. Contact us.
What is the base, and is it included?
Every giraffe comes with a custom base, and it is included in the price. You can see them in the photographs, the block each giraffe stands on.
The base is cut to suit the height you order, so a 9 foot giraffe arrives on a wider, heavier base than a 3 foot one.
How do I attach the base to the giraffe?
Once you receive the giraffe, use nails to secure the base into the bottom of the giraffe. Bigger giraffes need bigger nails.
It is a very simple process, will not take more than a few minutes, and needs just a few nails.
What will shipping cost?
At checkout you pay for your giraffe plus a shipping deposit. We then plan the packing it needs and email you the remaining shipping balance. Every shipment is tracked, and most deliveries need a signature.
Domestic delivery is typically 5 to 8 business days once shipped, international 10 to 14.
Will it stand up on its own?
Yes. Each giraffe stands on a custom base cut to suit its height, which is what balances it on a level floor.
Can it go outdoors?
No. Keep it indoors, out of direct sunlight, and away from radiators, damp and sudden changes in temperature. It should not be left in excessively cold spaces.
Dust it with a soft, dry cloth.
Will mine look exactly like the photograph?
Close, never identical. Handmade means the spots land where the carver put them and the neck leans the way that piece of wood allowed, so two giraffes sold as 3 feet can differ by an inch.