Pan, Spirit of the Woods - Sheffield Botanical Gardens, Sheffield, UK - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

The youth's left arm is raised above his head, his right arm rests on a branch. Over the branch a fleece is thrown, one end falling onto the youth's lap. A bag or cloth is secured at his waist by a shoulder strap. Various woodland creatures rest or scurry round on the ground holding the tree stump.

The bronze statue, cast by Cashmore & Company of London, was deeded to Sheffield in 1934 by Sir Charles Clifford, former owner of The Sheffield Telegraph newspaper and founder of the Sir Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield. After the war years, Pan was placed in the Botanical Gardens, gracing the formal, Italianate-style Rose Garden developed in 1953 by the new managers, Sheffield City Council.

Pan and all his attendant animals, imps and birds are hugely popular, with favourite animals polished by generations of fingers. After 50 years of affection and weathering, however, Pan was in real need of extensive delicate care. He has been beautifully restored by a local bronze caster/sculptor, Chris Boulton; this involved many small and large scale repairs, re-attachment of birds and animals, and even re-modelling and casting features which have been missing for many years.

One reference states that:- The statue is commonly called Peter Pan, but every element suggests Pan, the Greek god of pastures, flocks and woods. Rabbits, mice, frogs, birds, and squirrels which surround the figure are natural inhabitants of such places and elves are imaginary woodland spirits. The presence of flocks is suggested by the fleece caught in the tree branch and the bag at the figure's waist might refer to Pan's pipes.

This statue however is not unlike other staues of Peter Pan such as the one in London. See: (visit link)

Nothing is known about the artist, the piece could originate either from the 19th Century or the early 20th. It was cast by Cashmore & Co. of London

A verse from the Riddle Trail is inscribed in the new stone on which the statue is now mounted. The verse reads: Find a circle of stone opened up to the stars where huge animals lived in a cage without bars'. The Riddle Trail is a series of riddles set around irems in the park.

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Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Pan, Spirit of the Woods Figure Type: Combination of two figure types Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Unknown Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 1953 Materials used: Bronze Location: Park

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Date Logged Log User Rating   12/10/2018 dtrebilc visited it