Steatite or soapstone is a metamorphic talc rock used in carving for thousands of years. A medium-grained rock, or schist, soapstone is a soft rock with excellent workability. It can be finished to a smooth polish, textured or glazed.
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To the ancient Egyptians, steatite is a valued stone for making scarabs and seals like the cylinder seal above. The seal is glazed possibly with layers of Egyptian blue. The Egyptians mine the stone at Aswan along the Nile. Steatite is the earliest known glazed material.
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The stone is favored by ancient Mesopotamians, who acquire much of their steatite from Tepe Yahya, today's Iran. They create ring and cylinder seals, beads, stelae, dishes, tools, jewelry, lamps and art. Figurines of soapstone are given as temple votive offerings.
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The Minoan civilization on Crete shows signs of soapstone use. A libation table of steatite is found at the Palace of Knossos. In northern Europe, soapstone is in good supply. The indigenous Sámi people of northern Scandinavia mine steatite for domestic or trade use.
The oil lamps of the Sámi are called qulleq, traanilamppu (blubber lamp), seal oil lamp or whale oil lamp. The steatite dishes below come from the Inuit people of the Arctic, who call them by a similar name, qulliq.
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The Inuit of the north are famous for carvings as ornaments or domestic needs. The qulliq or oil lamp is created of soapstone and used by the Inuit, Chukchi, and Yupik peoples. The lamp is the most important piece of furniture in the home.
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Fluffy willow or moss of the Arctic tundra is collected to make wicks. Seal or whale oil goes into the shallow vessel. The wick is laid lengthwise at one end of the lamp. Women of the household light and tend the lamps. Among other uses, flames melt snow for drinking water.
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The hardness of soapstone varies significantly depending on the amount of talc and other components. Soapstone wavers around 1 - 2 on the Mohs hardness scale. A fingernail will scratch it. Light scratches can be removed by rubbing gently with mineral oil.
To compare, glass has a Mohs hardness of 5.5 - 6.5. Pure gold, or 24-karat gold, has a hardness of 2.5, copper 3 and steel 4 - 4.5. Diamond takes the top spot at 10.
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Talc, the primary component of soapstone, is a magnesium-rich mineral. The stone is created by metamorphism (physical changes) and metasomatism (chemical changes) to the material in zones where tectonic plates are subducted, one plate sliding beneath the other.
The geothermal action and compression alters rocks with heat and pressure, an influx of fluids, but without melting. Soapstone is about 4% water. Softer grades feel like soap when touched, hence the name.
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Because the amount of talc varies, from 30% in building grades and 80% for carving grades, no fixed hardness can be given for steatite. Easy to carve and durable, soapstone has been a favorite of sculptors and creators throughout the world for millennia.
Glazed steatite is the preferred medium for ancient Egyptian scarabs and amulets. Scarabs are popular for all classes of free citizens and serve as a type of status identification. Inscribed with glyphs significant to the owner, they contain the person's name or a pattern.
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In southeast Iran the ancient trading city of Tepe Yahya is a center for production and distribution of soapstone from c. 5000 BCE. Over a thousand pieces dating back to c. 2500 BCE are found at the site, an indication of active production and trade.
In the Indus Valley, steatite is used as the substrate for Indus-Harappan seals (c. 2600 - 1900 BCE). After carving, the seals are fired at over 1,000 °C (1,830 °F) for several days. This alters chemical composition and increases hardness to about 5 on the Mohs scale.
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In China, between c. 771 - 476 BCE, ceremonial knives are carved from soapstone. Soapstone is also used to carve Chinese seals. It's used as a type of writing pencil in Myanmar up to the 19th century CE.
Later Vikings (after c. 800 CE) make soapstone cooking pots, noting their superior heat retention qualities. They trade these vessels at home and by sea. In Shetland, the farthest northern region of Scotland, the pots are used for processing fats.
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Soapstone can be used for large scale works. Several medieval buildings in northern Europe are made with soapstone, amongst them Nidaros Cathedral, over 1000 years old. Above is a stunning exterior panel of Chennakeshava Temple, Belur, India c. 1200 CE.
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