|
The Long Awaited Return of The Florentine Boar |
||||
|
The Installation of the Florentine Boar YouTube Video A re formatted home movie DVD edited for public showing through the YouTube website. See the boar as it is fixed into its new permanent Plinth at the Derby Arboretum. |
||||
YouTube Video (requires a broadband connection) of the unveiling of the Arboretum's statue |
||||
 |
||||
|
From left: Robert Brookes of Wesley's Foundry, Cradley Heath (casting), Alex Paxton (sculptor) and Councilor Hardyal Dhinsa at the Unveiling of the Arboretum's Florentine Boar (Photograph Christopher Harris November 21st 2005) |
||||
On a cold but sunny November afternoon, a small crowd gathered to watch history being made as the Arboretum received its new Florentine boar Statue. Any doubts that the statue would not live up to its expectations have now been dispersed by this truly splendid replica of the original. Councillor Dhinsa stated in his speech that the statue is a reinstatement of the park's heritage, it fulfils the wishes of the local community and being a copy of the statue in Florence, Italy, is representative of our strong European roots. |
||||
|
|
||||
|
|
||||
Above: The New Bronze Boar At Home In The Arboretum The new statue is already proving to be very popular, both with the local people, who despite earlier comments to the contrary, say that they love the statue. It is also responsible for bringing a lot of new visitors to the Arboretum over the past few months. It started with people from around the centre and suburbs of Derby, but many visitors over the past couple of months have come from Melbourne, Ashbourne, Nottingham, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent and even further afield, such as Glasgow. A family from Derby in Australia visiting friends here in Derby U.K made a special trip just to see the statue, apparently they have seen the boar statue that resides in a park in Melbourne, Australia! It would also appear that the tradition of rubbing the statue's nose, as is the case with the original in Florence and its counterparts around the world, has already caught on here in Derby. This is a rather strange phenomenon as this practice is not generally known amongst Derby people. It is as if this statue, in all of its incarnations, compels people to give his nose a gentle pat or a friendly rub. (Photograph Christopher Harris November 18th 2005) |
||||
|
|
||||
|
Above: The boar is lifted from the lorry and lowered to its plinth (Photograph Christopher Harris November 18th 2005) |
||||
|
|
||||
|
Alex Paxton, the man who made the statue, guides his creation into position. (Photograph Christopher Harris November 18th 2005) |
||||
|
|
||||
|
Alex Paxton's Sculptor's Makings. Alex Paxton constructed the boar as a "Labour of Love" as he did not charge the Council for his work. The 24,000 costs were for the materials, the stone plinth and the casting process. |
||||
|
|
||||
Tusks of a Wild Boar The Florentine Boar as it was nearing completion, showing the detail of his ferocious tusks . The boar is in a slightly different pose to the one in the Marketo Neuvo, Florence, and is also larger, having similar dimensions to the original W. J. Coffee statue. The height to the tips of his ears is over four feet and he weighs in at over six hundred kilos.
|
||||
|
|
||||
|
Above: The earlier stages of construction |
||||
|
(Photograph Christopher Harris August 19th 2005) |
||||
 |
||||
|
Hind Legs and Hooves Fine detail will be added when all of the components have been assembled. (Photograph Christopher Harris August 19th 2005) |
||||
