Find me smooth heavy things

October 14, 2015 6:40 PM

Since childhood I've had an obsessive need to have heavy objects in my possession. I have been searching for a smooth granite gargoyle with not much luck. It must be granite and polished smooth. I would like it to be on the heavier side, at least 15-20 lbs.

Since I was very young I have had an urge to have heavy stone statues/objects. I'm sure the need to have these heavy things is rooted in my obsessive compulsive tendencies, as having these objects provides me comfort. I like to be able to pick them up and stroke them/place them in bed with me. I prefer that they be polished smooth without rough edges. I suppose it doesn't have to be a gargoyle, even though that is what I am looking for, as it could be some other animal type being. I already have a snail, which isn't completely smooth, so it doesn't satisfy me, obelisks, buddha, a pig, owl, elephant, and various other animals. When searching, most of what I find is either resin or composite stone, which is not acceptable. I would like it to be under $200, but there is a bit of leeway if it suits my needs.

posted by littlebuddhagirl3 to Home & Garden (18 answers total)

I think you will have better luck with softer stones than granite... granite is very, very hard, therefore more laborious to polish.

I thought of polished alabaster. How about eggs?
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:01 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Oh, sorry, saw you want something big. This etsy shop will make polished alabaster sculptures to order, I bet they can hook you right up.
posted by fingersandtoes at 7:06 PM on October 14, 2015

Best answer: Inuit soapstone carvings come in all sizes. Soapstone is heavy and smooth, and warms to the touch. Many online galleries offer carvings for sale, and costs vary wildly, so good hunting.
posted by Zedcaster at 7:54 PM on October 14, 2015 [4 favorites]

Gargoyles are about the opposite of "polished smooth without rough edges" – they're likely to have pointy bits all over them. TheJapanese prize large smooth stones for landscaping and decor – not sure where one acquires them, though.
posted by zadcat at 7:59 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

Toscano has an entire selection just of gargoyles, but you'd have to go through each one to see what they're made of.
posted by ilovewinter at 8:31 PM on October 14, 2015

You might appreciate this previous question: It may be small but it packs a punch.
posted by alms at 8:33 PM on October 14, 2015

I wonder if a Foo Dog would be more appropriate than a european-style gargoyle, in terms of smoothness.
posted by zug at 8:45 PM on October 14, 2015 [1 favorite]

My local botanical garden has an excellent gift shop which I imagine would do the trick. I also have a very heavy elephant from a local headshop.
posted by rubster at 10:03 PM on October 14, 2015

Maybe an antique curling stone?
posted by rongorongo at 1:02 AM on October 15, 2015

I think you might be interested in a 'full polish' granite sphere, like these wholesalers supply. An 8 inch sphere weighs about 30 lb, apparently.

Here's one that's drilled through, but you'd probably want local.

Landscaper suppliers and fountain sellers sell rotating granite sphere fountains, as might local stone suppliers. Check the yellow pages for such sellers; they're often pre web 1.0.
posted by sebastienbailard at 2:29 AM on October 15, 2015

Have you considered a granite ball fountain? These are smooth spheres of granite which rest in a socket. Water is pumped in from below, which creates a thin layer between the ball and the socket. The ball can be turned by hand with little effort, even though it is rather heavy.

I have seen these balls in large form - three feet in diameter - at a local museum. Children could exert enough effort to get them spinning. I think you could find one to fit in your garden or even in your house. This would give you the heavy aspect, the smooth aspect, plus a soothing fountain sound.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 8:36 AM on October 15, 2015

You might do very well shopping for Shiva Lingam. You can get these in a variety of sizes and materials. They are usually made out of polished stone and are quite heavy and smooth. I think they'd be a great choice, given how you want to relate to these objects. Lingam and intended to create a sense of personal connection between the human and the object. I've had a couple of these -- relatively large ones that I purchased in New Mexico. They really are beautiful.
posted by alms at 11:32 AM on October 15, 2015 [1 favorite]

At the risk of growing your love of smooth heavy things, search ebay for iridium bead or tungsten cylinder. They are nice, and pocket sized.
posted by porpoise at 2:25 PM on October 15, 2015

Here's a 6-inch black one. It doesn't say how much it weighs, though.
posted by alms at 8:06 PM on October 15, 2015

Wholesalers sell 25cm+ polished granite frogs, but only in batches of ten or more at a time. You'd want to call your local retail landscape suppliers to see if they sell anything like that.
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:17 PM on October 15, 2015

Try here, it's an aliexpress retailer selling viewing stones, some with a nice polish. Descending prices, and getting into your price range on page 2.

Found via a google image search for polished viewing stones aliexpress and clicking on a nice head-sized chunk of polished jasper.

Here's more context and resources on Asian viewing stones, suiseki, etc, a personal practice that might be good to get into.
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:47 PM on October 15, 2015

There are specialist suppliers of irregular soapstone blanks for sculpture.

Basically folk with a van and a shipping container full of rocks, they often have poor to no web presence, as well as being hyperlocal, and unaffiliated with normal art supply stores. (Who sell smaller blocks at high costs.)

Try googling, but also try calling a local place that sells sculpture tools as a good way to find them, or try local sculptors.

If you're working soapstone or polishing an irregular soapstone blank, use dust protection and eye protection!
posted by sebastienbailard at 8:59 PM on October 15, 2015

Not a sculpture, but you might like this.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:13 PM on October 15, 2015 [1 favorite]