Lapis lazuli or lapis for short, is a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense colour.  Lapis lazuli artefacts, dated to 7570 BC, have been found and It was used in the funeral mask of Tutankhamun (1341–1323 BC).

By the end of the Middle Ages, lapis lazuli began to be exported to Europe, where it was ground into powder and made into ultramarine, the finest and most expensive of all blue pigments.

This sculptural piece has a highly polished finish and a form which works with the veining of the stone, the bold ultramarine colour is a natural wonder.