PMSA Record
Installed 19 June 1995
sculpture: cadeby stone 1.95m high x 64cm wide x 78 cm deep
base: cadeby stone 70 cm x 72 cm wide x 14 cm deep
status: not listed
condition: good
condition details: broken bird’s head on south side replaced and base has a small chip
commissioned by: sculpture supported Group, Greatham
custodian: Greatham in bloom
Description
A one and a half times life-size figure of a man wearing old-fashioned work clothes and clogs. He holds a large bundle of sheaf in both hands and two birds perch in his hair. Carved from Cadeby stone the figure surmounts a stone base decorated with floral reliefs.
When Disley was invited to produce a sculpture that would ‘typify the spirit of Greatham and its rural setting’ he decided to base his work on the village’s annual sheaf-throwing contest, a game that has been played at the Greatham Feast for over 500 years. The birds refer to a well-known rookery in nearby woodland.(1) During its installation on 19th June 1995, just days before the 534th Feast, a piece of one of the birds chipped off. The £4,000 figure has since been repaired. The project was coordinated by Cleveland Arts with stone donated by Cadeby Stone and funding from Northern Arts, Greatham Parish Council and Teesside Arts Awards.(2)
Artist
Gallery
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