| Place | Europe: France, Picardie, Somme, Albert Bapaume Area, Bapaume |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | RELAWM14990 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Heraldry |
| Physical description | Marble |
| Location | Main Bld: First World War Gallery: Western Front 1917: Spring Advance |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | France |
| Date made | pre 1917 |
| Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
Sculpted marble head of a woman from dugout in Bapaume : Major General J Gellibrand, AIF
Description
Life size sculpted marble head of a grieving woman with centrally parted hair held in a loose chignon. The woman wears a wreath of pansies, symbolic of loved ones, memories or loving thoughts.
History / Summary
This marble head of a woman was left in a cellar or dugout in Bapaume, France, which was later used as brigade headquarters by Major General J Gellibrand. It is thought to have come from a cemetery monument which had been destroyed by the Germans. The dugout was blown up the day after the headquarters moved out, and an officer who knew that Gellibrand liked the head, retreived it and sent it to him as a gift.