Panthera Brittania
We know that to collect, to name, to classify is a process wrapped in unequal power dynamics. Panthera brittania is displayed in the style of a cultural artefact, reminiscent of those held in numerous public collections.
The artefact is a pure white lion, possibly made from marble. More specifically, the object is a representation of the British Lion; that historical symbol of majesty, strength, courage, pride and empire. I've always found it strange that the lion should was chosen as the traditional symbol of nationhood given that lions do not live in Britain. I'm also surprised that this representation has endured for so long.
The British empire and the lion was reinforced in the unlikeliest of places, including across the dinner table. Panthera Brittania has been cast from a 1920’s ‘British Lion Blanc-Mange and Jelly Mould’. The object has been cast in sugar, a key imperial commodity and is designed to draw attention to the abject history of slavery and indentured workers.
Panthera brittania represents an attempt at reversing the colonial lens and putting the symbolic British Lion under the spotlight.
The artefact is a pure white lion, possibly made from marble. More specifically, the object is a representation of the British Lion; that historical symbol of majesty, strength, courage, pride and empire. I've always found it strange that the lion should was chosen as the traditional symbol of nationhood given that lions do not live in Britain. I'm also surprised that this representation has endured for so long.
The British empire and the lion was reinforced in the unlikeliest of places, including across the dinner table. Panthera Brittania has been cast from a 1920’s ‘British Lion Blanc-Mange and Jelly Mould’. The object has been cast in sugar, a key imperial commodity and is designed to draw attention to the abject history of slavery and indentured workers.
Panthera brittania represents an attempt at reversing the colonial lens and putting the symbolic British Lion under the spotlight.
