Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam

An image of Animal Figure. Grecian Sphinx. Wedgwood, factory, England, Staffordshire. Adam, Robert, designer, after (British, 1728-1792). The sphinx crouches on a rectangular pedestal, with its forepaws extended at the front, and its tail curled over its hind quarters. It wears a semi-circular headdress, a bodice, and a saddle blanket, which falls down onto the base. Underneath there is a large circular hole surrounded by four small holes, with a medium-sized hole to the right. Black basalt, moulded, height, whole, 23 cm, length, whole, 31.8 cm, after 1780 probably 19th century. Neoclassical. Notes: The Grecian sphinxes are related to a design of 1763 by Robert Adam for Osterley Park. With the exception of their headdresses, they are also similar to four lead sphinxes, designed by Adam for Syon House, but eventually placed at the ends of the garden bridge at Compton Verney, Warwickshire. There is also a pair at Angelsey Abbey, Cambridgeshire.

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Animal Figure. Grecian Sphinx. Wedgwood, factory, England, Staffordshire. Adam, Robert, designer, after (British, 1728-1792). The sphinx crouches on a rectangular pedestal, with its forepaws extended at the front, and its tail curled over its hind quarters. It wears a semi-circular headdress, a bodice, and a saddle blanket, which falls down onto the base. Underneath there is a large circular hole surrounded by four small holes, with a medium-sized hole to the right. Black basalt, moulded, height, whole, 23 cm, length, whole, 31.8 cm, after 1780 probably 19th century. Neoclassical. Notes: The Grecian sphinxes are related to a design of 1763 by Robert Adam for Osterley Park. With the exception of their headdresses, they are also similar to four lead sphinxes, designed by Adam for Syon House, but eventually placed at the ends of the garden bridge at Compton Verney, Warwickshire. There is also a pair at Angelsey Abbey, Cambridgeshire.

Image data

Accession Number: MAR.C.8-1912
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/1.0
Camera: GFX 50S
Photographer name: Sam Cole
Image height: 768 pixels
Image width: 1024 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.4 (Windows)
Filesize: 333.54kB
Exposure time: 1/60
ISO Speed: 320
Fnumber: 1/1
Captured: 2017:08:18 03:44:28

Key words

19th Century animal figure basalt black bodice British School crouched crouching English female figure Grecian Sphinx hair headdress Josiah Wedgwood lions moulded mythological mythology neo-classical Neoclassical paws Robert Adam saddle saddle blanket sphinx Staffordshire Pottery Wedgwood Factory

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam"
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