- She was originally created in 1909
- She’s based on the then company secretary, Eleanor Thornton
- The owner of the company didn’t agree with her presence, even though today she is synonymous with the brand
- She can be made from silver and gold plated nickel or steel, stainless steel, crystal, with adaptations such as black matte paint, diamond studding or even ‘faberge’ styling
- She has many names, and is sometimes still known today as Emily, Silver Lady, or Flying Lady
- We’re featuring her in this blog because it ties in with the London Motor Show which is being held this week
Can you guess what today’s blog is about yet?
What about from these photos of the work in progress?
Spirit of Ecstasy
Some of that was probably a bit obscure, so we won’t leave in any more suspense!
Today we’re featuring Simon’s representation of ‘The Spirit of Ecstasy’; the figurine found on the bonnet of Rolls Royce Vehicles. If you were to wander around the Motor Show this weekend, we’re pretty sure you’d see a few different examples of her – but none quite as tall as this one!
The Background Story
This particular sculpting of the iconic figure was a private commission for the garden of a Rolls Royce enthusiast. She was quite the undertaking as she is ‘larger than life’, and took several days to complete. With her grace and elegance though we think that she’s the perfect addition to this car-lover’s garden, especially months on, when the plants have matured around her plinth.
Something for the Future
The figure of ‘The Flying Lady’ lends itself nicely to becoming a classical-looking garden statue. It got us wondering though, for all the other car lovers out there, what other emblems or figurines would you like to see Simon carve?
Perhaps the Ferrari horse for their head office in Maranello?
Maybe a jaguar for a fountain of the grounds of ….well, Jaguar?
Or, for something really obscure, a Marlin for a classic car collector?
Comment or tweet to let us know your ideas!
If you would like a carving for your offices, community area, home or garden to reflect your passion or hobby, contact @simon@treecarving.co.uk to commission something truly unique to you.