Edinburgh, 1, 2 St Andrew Square, The Prudential Assurance Office

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Standing figure of Prudentia in a niche at first floor level at the corner of the building. The figure is female, draped, her hair tied in a bun. On her head she has a kind of tiara. She holds a mirror in her left hand and a calliper in her right.

On 13 January 1899. The Building News reported that the Prudential Assurance building had 'recently been decorated with a statue of the cardinal virtue from which the association takes its name' (1).

Inscriptions : Below figure (in incised letters):

PRUDENTIA

Above three arched windows above entrance to building (in raised letters):

MDC / CCX / CVII [1897]

In tympanum above door, on escutcheon, in raised Greek-style letters (entwined):

[PAC]

In tympana above 3rd floor windows of No.20 South St Andrew Street and of the west bay of St Andrew Square (2 on each façade), in raised letters:

PAC [Prudential Assurance Company]

Signatures : None visible

Design period : 1892-1897

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN1369)