Soapstone as a locally used and limited sculptural material in remote area of Northern Moravia (Czech Republic)
Abstract
In contrast to Nordic countries, talc-rich rocks (massive and schistose talc-bearing rocks-talcite, magnesite- talc schists, chlorite-talc schists, and/or chloriteactinolite- talc schists often loosely classified as soapstone) represented practically an unknown natural building and sculptural stone in the Czech Republic. This extraordinary material was quarried and used in the only region of the Czech Republic where Sobotin amphibolite massif (Sumperk district, northern Moravia) outcrops.
Metamorphosed basic igneous rocks contain small lenses of soapstone that were exploited in the past and used not only for refractory purposes but also as a construction and sculptural material. Occurrences of 'Sobotin' soapstone show distinct zone macrofabric marked by the occurrence of massive soapstone in the core that gradually changes to talc-dominant schists, later to actinolite/tremolite-rich schists and finally to chlorite schists at the contact with surrounding amphibolites.