€60 - €120
Four collectible carved limestone Riverine Heads from Custom House crafted by Forde Crafts Ltd.part of the set of 14 that is carved in the 18th century 4 courts in Dublin .
The modern sculptures are inspired by the wonderful stone carvings on Dublin’s 18th-century Custom House. These 14 masks, representing the main rivers of Ireland and the Atlantic Ocean, are placed as keystones over the doorways. They’re the work of Edward Smyth, a sculptor born in Co Meath in 1749.
When work on the Custom House commenced in 1781, the architect James Gandon went looking for a stone carver.
He was ready to hire the best. The famous Italian sculptor Carlini submitted design-models. So did Edward Smyth, then busy making chimney pieces for Henry Darley, a builder based in Abbey Street.
When Darley recommended Smyth for the job, he shot himself in the foot. According to TJ Mulvany’s, The Life of James Gandon, Esq. (1846) the architect was so impressed by Smyth’s work that he turned to Darley and announced: “This will do; this is the artist I require; he must go alone and quit your employment.” You can almost hear the swish of the architect’s cloak as he stalked from the room.
River gods are traditionally associated with trade and commerce which is why they were chosen to embellish the Customs House. It’s also why, in the 1920s, Smyth’s gnarly-looking carvings inspired the designs for Ireland’s first Legal Tender banknotes, known as the Lady Lavery series.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
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28.29% inc VAT*
