Posted 10 years ago
woggle
(2 items)
This has been in my family since the exhibition of 1851. Our family on this side has been in Australia since about 1860. The picture is of the sculpture and the base with it's inscription.
The family story goes that there were only 6 of this particular one made and for some reason my ancestor ended up with one. But they did tell a good story on my father's side :)
It maybe the case they were awarded for something or other - service to the arts maybe, or they were sold to raise funds for the association. It is not clear at all how we ended up with it
Anyway here is some info from a very helpful man at the City Council of Edinburgh .... "The statue was copied in bronze (at about half size of the marble one) which was commissioned by ex pat Scots in New York city- now in Central Park; then there were smaller copies in bronze ( about 18 inches high) - we have at least one in our collections; then there were even smaller copies in ‘Parian porcelain’ – inspired by classical Greek marble statues from the island of Paros, Greece produced by Copelands in Stoke on Trent, (aka Carrara porcelain) and later improved by Wedgewood in 1860.
There were a number (?) of these ceramic versions produced, see auctioneer Bonhams entry below, and I have seen a few about, again we have one in the Writers Museum here, and very nice they are too. Bonhams site ( I can’t access it) should be able to give you an idea of value - I’d guess about UK £250) – but I / we don’t do valuations.
"
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/18076/lot/195/
