Detail View: SHIMMER: The Balloon and Miller Plaque

The Balloon and Miller Plaque

1988

120cm high x 84cm

2004

20th century

Silkstone, South Yorkshire

ENGLAND, UK

ceramic tiles

BROUGHTON, Lorna

Landmark sculptures

b041a

View of plaque and wall. Location: At the entrance to a farm on Blackergreen Lane, Moor End, Silkstone Common, S75. Description: Ceramic relief panel in the wall to the left of the path immediately before a farm. The plaque is divided into two scenes one above the other. The upper half of the panel shows a balloon with a face, the lower half a horseman galloping from right to left surrounded by water. Behind him is a sluice gate, in front of him can be seen half of a mill-wheel. The whole is surrounded by rocks, trees and intertwined leaves. Commission: Organised by the Silkstone Heritage Stones Project, composed of local residents. Commissioned June 1991, finished September and sited October of the same year. In 1853 a balloon landed near this site. It had been part of a demonstration about the fall of Sebastopol prior to the onset of the Crimean War. "The balloonist, in fear of his life from the throng which gathered around him, offered an individual in the crowd 10/- to pack his balloon and deliver it to the station" [1] The horseman on the plaque is the local miller who would release the dam sluice gate at Blacker Green and gallop back to the mill in a race with the water. References: [1] Sara Selwood: The benefits of public art in Great Britain.

© Sheffield Hallam University

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Silkstone Public Art. For more information see also < http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/pmsa/barnsley/index.html#page5 > .

Dave Ball

BROUGHTON, Lorna

Ceramicist.

Female.

Tiles

Public art -- England (South Yorkshire)

Ceramics in art