This extraordinary, natural figure stone with its graceful flowing form was collected in the Rio Dulce (Sweet River) in northwestern Argentina by Alejandro Bonardi. The Sweet River crosses the province of Santiago del Estero. After studying this stone Bonardi choose a vertical orientation. It reminded him of a lady dressed in black, expressing mourning. She was mourning the fact that this river has become polluted and is suffering like so many other rivers in the world. The stone is crying out for help for the Rio Dulce.

“La Viuda Negra” is a small stone measuring just 9 cm high and 3.7 cm wide. Bonardi carved a based from pink cedar wood and then stained it with a combination of natural tannins and dark oak to achieve this color. This stone is in Bonardi’s personal collection.