HANDSOME GIFT

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 8 March 1927, Page 5

HANDSOME GIFT

| PETER PAN STATUARY. | _ 1 'MR ROBERT MILLIGAN'S '"ENEROSITY. i - I Yesterday afternoon thex*e "was unveiled in the Municipal Gardens a group of statuary in bronze which I will be unique among the ax't tx*easi ures of New Zealand. The group hecomes the property of the town J through the generosity of Mr Robert i Milligan, a prominent citizen and - ex-Mayor of the Borough. The idea ' of a having a piece of sculpture for Oamaru Gardens occurred to Mr Milligaxx during ;a "recent visit to Londoxx, when he saw the' Peter Pan group in Kensington Gardens. j The conxmission for the work was placed in the hands of Mr Thos. J. I Clapperton, R.B.S., fo St. John's Wood. London, a sculptor yvhose work has recently been much befor the public in connection with the great sky-line frieze in th'e new Regent Street. A Charmixxg Picture. The group, in dark bronze, stands about 84 feet high and rests upon a pedestal of n,atural rockwork rising 2-4 feet above ground lev'el. It represents two young childriie, a boy and a girl, who, out in search of adventure, have discovered a veritable wonderland at the back of beyond. Under the cliff on which they are perched there dawns upon their delighted vision a little world of fairies and all sorts of wild creatures. A tiny elf charms a pair of rabbits with the sound of his pipes; another is holding serious confabu5 lation with a squirrel. Beautiful i j winged1 forms flit over the faee of ! the rocks or creep mischievously ; from tiny paverns. Mice and frogs : doves and peering owl are included jin this fanciful and charming com- ; i munity. • { Of the children the little m,aid re- ; presents the dreaming, imaginatxve Itype. She sits. passive and absox'b- ; ed, drinking in the beauty of the j pictux-e presented to her enraptur- . ed sight. She watches the fairies ' emerging froxn. the rocks to meet ; their little mortal friends and float j around the ivy and grass-covered i bank. 1 The boy's is the fvgure of 1 eager nation, keen to take part in j the fairy revels. iOne slender wing- ! ed f orxxx rises to , the edge of the ! cliff and, touching his foot lightly Avith her finger, seems to beckon him to join them, ;The numerous groupings of ' fairies and animals which come ' successively into view as one moves around the pedestal will give ever- : recurring delight to the children — : of all ages — tq whom Mr Milligan j Ixas dedicated liis gift. It is one of • the all too rare bene'factions to New i Ze,aland directed purely to cultural ! e-nds — nothing xnore "useful" than J a simple -restirring of the joys of ! cbildhood. ; Winsomeness of Childhood. J Writing for a souvenir puhlished i on the occasion of the unveiling of 1 the statuary, an Oamaru gentleman ; says: "Here is the winsomeness of_ : unreasonable childhood, when we ! are small enough to hear the whis- ; pers of fairies and feel .the bre,ath- '• ing of elemental Nature. These iig- : ures, with their eagerness and' ,in" ; ward glee, will be loved by all | children, and often sought by • grown-up children, who, gazirig at ; them, will find the long summer : days of the past come trooping back ' to meet them."

Children's Wonderland. j In a letter to the children of 0amaru, Mr Milligan says: — "In Kensington Gardens, London, there is J a famous piece of sculpture called j 'Peter Pan.' London children have a great affection for Peter and for all the fairies and wild things-carv-ed upon the basfe of the statuary. I s',aw girls ,and boys stroking the rabbits and squirrels jxxst as xf these little bronze figures were alive. It was then I thought how New Zealand children have few opportunities of seeing works of art like 'Peter Pan,' and I wished that it nxgiht be possible for Oamaru to have in its Gardens something of the kind for you— that something is now here. Iou have a 'Wonderland' of yoiir own, apd I dedicate it to you in the hope that it will, help you to love for what is beautiful, whether it be works of art, or the good fairies of your own imagining, or - the birds and flowers of God's wonderful world." Token of Civic Patriofism. In a letter of acceptance the Mayor (Mr J. McDiarmid), says:— "On behalf of the children of Oam1 aru, and also our grown-up citizens, I wish to convey to you a ) word of sincere thanks for the] beautiful gift you have made to the town. Placed in sixch an ideal setting ,as the spot selected provides, this delighiful statuary will make a rare artistic acquisition to our- already beautiful Gardens, and be a source of pleasure and inspifcation to our young people for all tixne. Only on rax-e occasions in the history of our borough has the munificence of private citizens endowcd the community with what nxay be termed a lasting token of. civic patriotism. You, sir, in exnulating these exaxxxples of generoshy in the public interest, and followxng on a long career of devoted and valuable service to this coxnmunity. have set a pattern of practical civic useful-, ness worthy of the highest commendation." A Notable Sculptor. The work of the sculptor, Mr Thos. J. Clapperton, is already lcnown to Oamaru; the xnodelling of the fxne symholical group consisting of a New Zealand soldier protecting a Belginn child which' forms an ixnportant part of the North Otago War Memorial, having been entrusted to hixn by the Memorxal •Committee. At Home he has executed many important architectpral and memorial works, includxng sculpture for Cardiff City Hall, the National Museunx of Wales and a number of war memorials throug'hoixt the country. The present work for Mr Milligan proves his capacity for dealing with subjects of a lighter and more fanciful nature. Oamaru is fortunate in its possession and the Gardens already widely known for their great beauty and variety, a multuxn in parvo oi all that xnuch larger mixnicipal Gardens should be, will gain very con- ; siderably in interest and dignxty by its acquisition.