Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
Mermaids archway Photograph
Region ID | EM | |
Work ID | 9 | |
Manual Reference | LE010TC | |
Type | Sculpture | |
Title | Mermaids archway | |
Designer | Neatby, William J. | |
Date of design | 1900 | |
Year of unveiling | 1980 | |
Unveiling details | Spring 1980 | |
Road | West Bridge | |
Precise Location | on north side of West Bridge, overlooking W side of Grand Union Canal | |
A to Z Ref | 4 A4 (1) | |
OS Ref | SK582043 | |
Postcode | ||
Work is | Extant | |
Listing Status | Not listed | |
Duty of Care | Leicester City Council | |
Commissioned by | Leicester Wholesale Market | |
Notes | ||
Archway with relief decoration on spandrels and soffit. The spandrel decoration comprises opposed mermaids, one in each spandrel, in swirling stylised water, arms outstretched, fishes issuing fromtheir hands lifted towards the crown of the arch. Bubbles issue from the Mermaids' mouths, their hair swirls up and forward of their brows. It is basically a symmetrical design relieved by variations in the fishes, water currents and mermaids' hair. The design of the soffit comprises a relief of one fish to each voussoir facing left, forming an anti-clockwise school. | ||
circa | ||
raw year | 1980 | |
Condition | Fair | |
At risk | Not at risk | |
Inscriptions | on metal plaque fixed to low brick wall to right of archway wall: THE BAS RELIEF PANEL 'MERMAIDS' WAS MADE IN 1900 / AT THE ROYAL DOULTON LAMBETH POTTERIES BY / WILLIAM J. NEATBY, WHO WAS HEAD POTTER IN THE / TERRACOTTA DEPARTMENT THERE FROM 1890 TO / 1907. / FOR MANY YEARS IT STOOD OVER THE MAIN / DOORWAY OF THE LEICESTER WHOLESALE / MARKET ON HALFORD STREET UNTIL THAT BUILDING / WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1972. / IT WAS RE-ERECTED AT ITS PRESENT SITE UPON / THE BASE OF A BRIDGE PIER OF THE OLD GREAT / CENTRAL RAILWAY IN THE SPRING OF 1980 | |
Signatures | at bottom of right spandrel, 'hand-written': Doulton / WJN / April 11th 1900 | |
Elements
Element Details
Part of work | Material | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
carved archway spandrels | terracotta | h. 217 cm; w. 604 cm |
Assessment of Condition
Surface Character
Detail | Comment |
|---|---|
Bird guano | |
Previous treatments | small losses filled with grey/white material, especially on left mermaid's back |
Structural Condition
Structural Condition | Comment |
|---|---|
Broken, missing parts | small chips out of framing |
