- Artist
- Edward Onslow Ford 1852–1901
- Medium
- Bronze, silver, enamel and semi-precious stones
- Dimensions
- 670 × 250 × 390 mm
- Collection
- Tate
- Acquisition
- Presented by Mrs Teresa Fairchild in appreciation of her great-uncle Mr Clinton Thomas Dent, MC, FRCS, who commissioned this work 2008
- Reference
- T12622
Display caption
The figure in this work is shown clapping while music or dance is performed. Around the base are ancient Egyptian deities in silver and hieroglyphic inscriptions taken from a ‘Harpist’s Song’ found on the walls of ancient Egyptian tombs. Ford researched his Egyptian symbols carefully. His style reflects a fascination many 19th-century Europeans had with Egypt. British occupation in 1882 over control of the Suez Canal, European surveys of the archaeology of ancient Egypt and new railways and steamships, allowed Europeans greater access to Egypt and its culture.
Gallery label, October 2020
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