Sol - Sun - Sol, Cardiff Castle, Wales.
N 51° 28.877 W 003° 10.929
30U E 487351 N 5703363
The Roman God of the Sun (Sol) is often shown carrying a whip and wearing a radiate crown: In Burges’ representation his head is bare, and he holds in both hands his identifying attribute, the Sun.
Waymark Code: WMEAQD
Location: South Wales, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/28/2012
Views: 6
The Cardiff Castle Clock Tower is highly decorative. The main features are seven over life-sized figures representing the planets, The figures stand on pedestals and hold attributes relating to their sign of the Zodiac.
Portrayed in medieval costume, the gods are Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury, and Luna. This listing features 'Sol' (Sun).
"Archival information relating to the early decoration of Sol is limited. An early photograph gives some indication of the form of decoration, with a diaper pattern clearly visible around the base of the figure’s tunic. No watercolour sketches were found. The Roman god of the sun is often shown carrying a whip and wearing a radiate crown: In Burges’ representation his head is bare, and he holds in both hands his identifying attribute, the sun.
The figure of Sol must originally have been one of the brightest of the seven statues. Following cross section analysis of samples, a range of uncovering tests were undertaken through which it became clear that original applied decoration was present but extremely deteriorated. Overpaint was therefore removed from substantial areas of the figure to establish the exact layout of patterning on, for example, the tunic.
Whilst cross sections suggested that the hair and the tunic were gilded, uncovering tests revealed that the latter was additionally decorated with bright red five-pointed stars, reminiscent of figures depicted on the roof garden tiles in the interior of the castle. The base of the tunic was decorated with an emerald green pattern, whilst the sun plaque was, surprisingly, not gilded but painted white, with applied shading."
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Redecoration of the Clock Tower:- (
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