"In the wilds of Africa, giraffes glide gracefully through their world. The inspiration for this sculpture came from observing giraffes in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia. The inspiration for the title came from a book about one particular giraffe written by Michael Allin."
"He named his giraffe Zarafa, from an Arabic variant meaning 'charming' or 'lovely one'. I thought it an appropriate name for my giraffe as well."
"The true story involves the gift of a young giraffe in the early 1800s, from the Ottoman viceroy of Egypt, Mohammed Ali, to King Charles X of France. Zarafa was captured in Africa and traveled from Egypt, across the Mediterranean Sea, to Marseilles. She was then marched up through France to Paris. Her journey created quite a stir in the imagination of the French people, inspiring fashion and hair styles."
"Zarafa lived for 18 years in Paris, charming all her visitors - as I hope my sculptures will charm you." - Karryl