Blair Castle, walled garden. View of sundial with figure of Time by John Cheere 1743.

Description Blair Castle, walled garden. View of sundial with figure of Time by John Cheere 1743.

Date 1973

Catalogue Number SC 2639401

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of PT 4423

Scope and Content Sundial, Blair Castle, Perth & Kinross This shows a lead sculpture representing 'Time'. He is shown as a bearded old man with wings (signifying how 'Time flies') holding a brass sundial. The sundial is inscribed 'Geo Adams at Tycho Brahe's head in Fleet St. London 1743' (the name and address of the dial maker). The sculpture itself was made by John Cheere (d. 1787). The maker of this sculpture, and many others still surviving at Drummond, John Cheere (1709-87), owned a yard near Hyde Park in London. He sent lead, marble and plaster sculptures ordered by James, 2nd Duke of Atholl to Scotland in specially made 'strong cases strongly brac'd in ye insides to keep ye statues from moveing' which could withstand transportation by boat. He also gave instructions on caring for each piece: 'once in two years it should be washt very clean and oil'd over with linseed oile'. Blair Castle, the seat of the Dukes of Atholl, was begun in 1269, extended in the 15th and 16th centuries, and remodelled to resemble a Georgian mansion by architect James Winter in the mid-1700s. The south-east wing was built in 1743-5, and rebuilt to include a clock-tower to designs by architect Archibald Elliot in 1814 after a fire. The castle was 're-baronialised' to designs by architect David Bryce in 1869-71, who also designed the ballroom (1826-7). It was modified again in 1886 (J C Walker), 1904-5 (J McIntyre Henry) and 1920-1 (Sir Robert Lorimer). Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/2639401

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