Manual Ref* NFklSA001 Show 3 images 440
Title*

Persimmon
County Norfolk   District Council King's Lynn 
Civil Parish or equivalent Sandringham  Town/Village* Sandringham 
Road Anmer Road 
Precise Location The Royal Stud 
OS Grid Ref TF700290  Postcode PE35 
Previous location(s) The original base, designed by Edward VII has been lost and horse originally stood facing the Sandringham Estate 
Setting Front of stud in clear view of the road  Access Private 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
Adrian Jones  Sculptor(s)  with 
A.B. Burton  Foundry   

Commissioned by

 The Jockey Club 

Design & Constrn period

 1905 

Date of installing

 1908 

Exact date of unveiling

 09-Nov-05 

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type: Equestrian

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Statue  Patinated bronze  H 2.6 m x L 3.8 m x W 1.5 m (approx) 
Pedestal  Granite  H 1.67 m x L 3.67 m x W 1.5 m (approx) 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 Sandringham Estate 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail: Surface of the pedestal on all sides is very worn and stained

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail: Joins are cracking and the panels of the pedestal are coming away

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks Adrian Jones Sculptor / A.B. Burton Founder / Adrian Jones Sc. 
Inscriptions PERSIMMON / This statue was presented to / His Majesty King Edward VII / on his birthday November 9th 1905 / by the members of the Jockey Club // PERSIMMON / Sire St. Simon - Foaled 1893 - Dam Perdita II / 1895 1896 1897 / The Coventry Stakes Ascot The Richmond Stakes Goodwood / The Derby Stakes Time 2min 42sec. The St. Leger Stakes The Jockey Club. / The Ascot Gold Cup The Eclipse Stakes / Trained by R. Marsh / Stud groom E. Walker / Ridden by J. Watts 

Description (physical)

 Oversize equestrian statue with green patina on a pink granite pedestal. The horse’s musculature is realised with a new mastery of form as he stands with bridle but without saddle or rider in front of the Sandringham stud. 

Description (iconographical)

 The over life-size statue marks the culmination of Adrian Jones's involvement with Persimmon, which had begun with sketches at Sandringham in 1895, which in the following year led to a commission from the Prince of Wales to paint the horse with his jockey Watts, followed, again in 1896, by the commission from Princess Alexandra for a statuette of the horse as a birthday present for the Prince of Wales. Adrian Jones produced another statuette of Persimmon in 1898, by then at stud, when he found the 'great racer well filled out, very muscular and with all the visible and outward signs of his breeding and quality. In my experience, which is not small, I have never had so gentle and placid a stallion to deal with. No wonder he was his master's favourite.' When Adrian Jones began work on the over life-size bronze statue, commissioned by the Jockey Club in 1905, he noted that he had many models in wax and sketches from which to work. 'King Edward was very interested in the work, and came frequently to my studio to see it in the making. I was surprised to find how keenly his eye had noted the points of his favourite horse. He made several valuable suggestions, while on many occasions he complimented me on "getting life and character into it." When the model was cast in bronze, King Edward himself selected the site at Sandringham where he proposed to have it placed. With his natural care for detail, he ordered wooden structures to be erected of the height and length of the pedestal required and asked me to come down and inspect these. I made a few suggestions which he was pleased to adopt, and on he site he chose the Jockey club's presentation stands to this day.' A very impressive horse, Persimmon(1893-1908) turned out to be every bit as good as his looks suggested. The Prince of Wales was his breeder and his trainer was Richard Marsh. For the heir to the throne he won 7 races as a 2, 3 and 4 year old, including a hard-fought success in the Derby. At 4 he won the Ascot Gold Cup by 8 lengths when he was better than ever. According to the 1996 Visitor’s Guide to Sandringham the estate benefitted from his prize-money. Persimmon was leading sire four times. He sired Sceptre, Keystone II, Perola, Prince Palatine, Your Majesty and Zinfandel and was equally successful as a sire of broodmares.  

Photographs

 Date taken:  30/5/2007
Date logged:  4/6/2007

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  30/5/2007

Inspected by:
David Hulks

Sources and References

 Jones, A., Memoirs of soldier artist, with an introduction by Lord Baden-Powell, London, 1933, 99, 102,106-7,114-5 www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmarks/Graves/cem/GraveMattersSandringham.html accessed 7-Jun-07 ttp://www.horseracinghistory.co.uk/hrho/action/viewDocument?id=87 accessed 18 - Jun -08 Duke of Edinburgh et al. Sandringham: Norfolk Retreat of HM the Queen, 1996, p. 48  

Database

 Date entered:  8/6/2007

Data inputter:
David Hulks and Richard Cocke