The Gold Smelters
Sculpture in London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gold Smelters,[1] also known as the Barbican Frieze,[2] Bryer's Frieze,[3] Gold Refiners,[4] or abridged as Gold Smelters,[5] is an outdoor frieze relief by J. Daymond, installed along Aldersgate Street in London, United Kingdom. It was saved from a building demolished in the 1960s and re-erected in its present location by the Corporation of London in 1975.
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| The Gold Smelters | |
|---|---|
The relief in 2014 | |
 | |
| Artist | J. Daymond |
| Location | London, United Kingdom |
| 51.521394°N 0.097184°W | |
Description
The medium relief depicts twelve figures engaged in gold refining trade, plus a cat. The relief is part of a large concrete block mounted on a brick plinth. A nearby plaque reads, THIS FRIEZE WAS REMOVED FROM NUMBER 53 AND 54 / BARBICAN WHEN IT WAS DEMOLISHED IN 1962 AND RE / ERECTED BY THE CORPORATION OF LONDON IN 1975 / NUMBER 53 AND 54 WERE THE PREMISES / OF W. BRYER & SONS GOLD REFINERS AND ASSAYERS / WHOSE TRADE IS DEPICTED IN THE FRIEZE. THE BUILDING / WAS ONE OF THE FEW WHICH SURVIVED WHEN THE AREA / WAS LARGELY DESTROYED BY INCENDIARY BOMBS IN / DECEMBER 1940.[3]
