Tuesday 26 August 2014

Animals

It will come as no surprise to those of you familiar with this blog that  I tend to spend a good deal of time looking for all kinds of wild animal.

Just to take a bit of a tangent, these are some animals I found in the UK which are not the least bit wild!



These first two are in the Tower of London, and they are a reminder that there was once a large menagerie of animals housed there.  This was a good while ago (thankfully) with many of the animals being gifts from foreign guests to the King or Queen.  I have to say that receiving an elephant as a gift may have been a bit of a bind in the long run!  I have to wonder if it was ever considered polite to re-gift an elephant!


This horse is much further north, on one of the stable walls of Bamburg Castle - its called Silver.  It's called Silver for two reasons - one it was modelled on a horse called Silver (!) and second the its made of glass, and the use of silver in the glass gives it its distinctive colour.  I have to say I rather like it!

You can find more images from around the world at Our World Tuesday.

23 comments:

  1. These are terrific sculptures and what great shots for the day, Stewart! Hope you have a great new week!!

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  2. Oh cool statues Stewart! I was just watching a documentary on the Tower Of London last night and saw them.

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  3. I haven't seen those animal sculptures before. I wonder if they are a fairly new attraction at the Tower but I think I prefer the horse.

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  4. Well, I'm closing down my computer for two weeks, but couldn't pass up this post. These are amazing sculptures and the horse is made of glass? Wow ... you do have an eye for beauty. Be well, Stewart and fear not ...I will be back to harass you soon :)

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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  5. Love them all ~ especially like the horse ~ Great photos for OWT ~ Happy animal searching ~

    artmusedog and carol (A Creative Harbor)

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  6. 。.✿✿°°
    Passei para uma visita.
    São animais nem um pouco selvagens mas de grande criatividade!...
    Boa semana!
    Beijinhos.
    ♡♡彡

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  7. Wow! Aren't they fantastic! I really love that elephant. Wonderful!

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  8. How cool, I love all these animals.. Great collection.. Have a happy week!

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  9. Nice statues. I really like the horse!

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  10. What lovely animals! I do love the horse especially. What a nice reminder about having the animals in the Tower, but how sad for the animals themselves.

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  11. Wow - what cool sculptures. I really like that elephant!

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  12. These are fantastic sculptures! I like the horse too! :)

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  13. I do love that horse but the poor elephant and lions still caged in the tower, even as sculptures do make me cringe, no matter how well done they are.

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  14. Beautiful animals, Stewart.
    I love the elephant.

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  15. maar het zijn wel hele mooie herinneringen.

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  16. Maybe not wild...but certainly amazing finds Stewart.

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  17. Horse made of glass. Interesting.

    I too have not seen animal sculptures . Amazing.

    Thanks for the history on all.

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  18. wow- the mane on the lion looks amazing....

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  19. Wonderful images! Makes me think of the term "white elephant" for something unwanted.

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