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Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam

Image attached to MAR.C.8-1912

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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About this image

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

Colours in this image

rgb(64,63,62), rgb(228,227,227), rgb(109,105,102), rgb(130,130,127), rgb(120,116,107), rgb(164,161,160), rgb(100,108,103), rgb(180,180,179), rgb(100,100,108), rgb(171,172,163), rgb(196,188,192)

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The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-206938 Accessed: 2024-03-29 06:52:22

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-206938 |title=Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-03-29 06:52:22|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/aa/aa37/MAR_C_8_1912_1_201708_sjc288_dc2.jpg"
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Wedgwood basalt Grecian Sphinx, after Robert Adam</figcaption>
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