Reading on the Rhino's Back — bronze sculpture

A massive rhinoceros stands calmly with its head slightly lowered, while a small female figure sits on its back, bent over an open book. The pairing of bulk and fragility, of power and quiet concentration, makes for a scene full of stillness and gentle irony — the animal seems content to wait until the reading is done. The sculpture is handmade: cast in bronze using the lost-wax technique, then hand-worked and hand-patinated.

This is handcrafted work with a rich, tactile surface — the folded, weathered hide of the rhino and the softly modelled body of the figure were each worked individually, and the patina in shades of green, blue and grey settles differently on every casting, so no two pieces are alike. The elongated, well-balanced form displays beautifully on a sideboard, console table, wide shelf or in a lit cabinet. A striking piece for collectors of figurative and animal sculpture, and an original gift for anyone who loves books and art with a touch of poetic imagination.