An impressive sculpture of Dick King’s historic marathon ride created by the acclaimed Hilton-based sculptor, Llewellyn Owen Davies, sold for R36000 at the recent Cannon’s Auctioneers sale of collectables in Hilton.
The mercurial bronze sculpture by Davies depicts King and his Zulu servant, Ndongeni, leaving Durban on horseback for Grahamstown on their epic 950km ride to seek reinforcement for the British garrison under siege in Durban during the Battle of Congella.
Made in 1983, Davies says his bronze was inspired by his disappointment in the Durban Esplanade “sterile” sculpture dedicated to this extraordinary achievement.
His artist’s proof of the King work was stolen from the library at the original Grey's Hospital in Pietermaritzburg in 1984.
Davies was born in 1950, and at the age of four already knew that his purpose in life was be a sculptor. His youth was spent at the family cattle ranch in Zimbabwe, working with ant heap clay to create a perpetual stream of sculptures to hone his skills. At the age of 26, having moved to South Africa, he became a full-time professional sculptor.
His ability to express his love of life in striking three-dimensional form and movement was soon recognised and he is now one of South Africa’s most collectable sculptors, with prized bronzes found in collections around the world and commissioned by large corporates.
Davies can be reached on 0824413562.