{"product_id":"seated-lion-on-a-leaf-moulded-pedestal-marble-statue-200cm","title":"Seated Lion on a Leaf-Moulded Pedestal Marble Statue - 200cm","description":"\u003ch3\u003eDescription\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA lion sits square on its haunches on a moulded pedestal, its head turned slightly to one side and its mouth closed, the mane cut in long combed waves that fall to the chest and curl at the ends. The forelegs are straight with the paws set at the front edge of the cap, and the tail curls round the haunch and along the top. The pedestal carries a single run of leaf moulding under its cap and a stepped base beneath. The marble is a bright white with grey veining through the pedestal.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSetting Out a Run of Leaves\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA leaf moulding is a repeating form, and the risk in anything repeating is that a small error accumulates. Carve the leaves one after another by eye and the last few will be crowded or stretched, and because the run returns round all four faces the discrepancy meets itself at a corner where everyone can see it. So the run is divided before it is cut: the total length is stepped off with dividers, adjusted until the same number of leaves fits each face exactly, and every leaf's centre is marked. Only then does carving start. The leaves are cut in passes across the whole run rather than one at a time, which keeps them at a consistent depth and lets the eye read the rhythm instead of the individual leaf.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the brightest white in the range and it behaves accordingly: against pale stone, render or a light gravel it loses its edges and flattens into the background. It needs something dark behind it - a yew or beech hedge, a brick wall, deep planting - and then the veining and the carved shadow both come forward. At 200cm on its pedestal the head is above eye level and turned slightly, so a position where the approach is off to one side suits it better than a dead-centre one. Formal settings are where it belongs: a courtyard, a gateway, the head of steps, a terrace corner.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eA Bright White That Needs a Dark Ground\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeventeen to nineteen weeks. The pedestal is cut first and its leaf run set out with dividers before any of it is carved, then the run is worked round all four faces in passes, the stepped base dressed and the bed proved flat. The lion is carved from its own block: roughed seated, the forelegs and paws brought to the front of the cap, the tail cut round the haunch and along the top, then the mane worked outward to inward with the curled ends left last because they stand clear. The head is turned late and the closed muzzle cut at the end. Assembly is final, the animal set on the cap once the bed is proved. Our main studios are in the UK (Birmingham) and Dubai, with additional global workshops. Around 4,668kg across two parts, craned in turn and bedded onto a concrete foundation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOther seated lions are in \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/animal-sculptures\"\u003eanimal sculptures\u003c\/a\u003e, and tall pieces under \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/large-garden-statues\"\u003elarge garden statues\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecification\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003ctable class=\"spec_table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHeight\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e200cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBase\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eIncluded\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaterial\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHand-Carved Natural Marble\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Giant Sculptures","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53833763225947,"sku":"MST-ANI-054","price":30671.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0869\/3383\/2027\/files\/MST-ANI-054_1.jpg?v=1787152584","url":"https:\/\/giant-sculptures.com\/products\/seated-lion-on-a-leaf-moulded-pedestal-marble-statue-200cm","provider":"Giant Sculptures","version":"1.0","type":"link"}