The Samson and Hercules sculptures were a pair of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

atlantids of the biblical character

Samson Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...

and Roman hero

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

carved Carving is the act of using tools to shape something from a material by scraping away portions of that material. The technique can be applied to any material that is solid enough to hold a form even when pieces have been removed from it, and ...

in 1657 and situated at Samson and Hercules House, 15 Tombland,

Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...

. The Samson sculpture now resides in a restored state at the

Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell The Museum of Norwich at the Bridewell (formerly The Bridewell and the Bridewell Museum) is a museum of the social history of the city of Norwich in England. Constructed in the 14th century, it was one of the grandest medieval residences in the ...

, but the original Hercules sculpture, then 233 years old, was lost in 1890 due to decaying beyond repair.

History

The sculptures were commissioned in a pair by the Mayor of Norwich Christopher Jay in 1657, to be placed outside his new home in Tombland, Norwich. The Samson sculpture was carved from a single oak tree trunk. The figures were moved to the building's rear courtyard in 1789, but were placed back at the front door in 1890, by which point the original Hercules sculpture had decayed beyond repair and was replaced by a replica. From 1934 until 2003, the building operated as a

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for dancing. From the earliest years of the twentieth century until the early 1960s, the dance hall was the popular forerunner of the discothèque or nightclub. The majority of towns and cities in ...

and later a

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

. The venue was named Samson and Hercules House during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, but later was rebranded to Ritzy's in 1983. In the summer of 1992, the Samson sculpture's right arm fell off, prompting Norfolk Museums Service (NMS) to remove the sculptures. They were replaced at the venue with fibreglass replicas in 1998. These replicas were at one point painted red when the house became a lobster restaurant, and painted other colours in years since. Conservation firm Plowden & Smith were commissioned by the NMS in 2014, and oversaw a four-year process to remove 60 layers of

lead paint Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate (, "chrome yellow"), lead(II,IV) oxide, (, "red lead"), and lead(II) carbonate (, "white lead") are the most common forms.. Lead is added to paint to accele ...

, weighing , that had built up on the Samson sculpture. Due to water damage,

fungus A fungus ( : fungi or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as a kingdom, separately from t ...

had accumulated in the sculpture's head, and "severe and extensive rot" of the whole sculpture had led to its wood becoming soft. This was treated with liquid consolidant, while a missing section of its torso was refilled with

cellulose fibre Cellulose fibers () are fibers made with ethers or esters of cellulose, which can be obtained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from other plant-based material. In addition to cellulose, the fibers may also contain hemicellulose and li ...

. The treatment cost £32,000, and was nominated for "best restoration project of the year" at the Museums + Heritage Show after it was completed in 2019. When restored, the sculpture could not be put on display due to its vulnerability. In 2018, the

began a crowdfunding campaign, "Saving Samson", which raised the £15,000 needed to purchase an environmentally controlled glass case. It was unveiled at the museum in April 2019.

References

{{Authority control Sculptures in England Outdoor sculptures in England 1650s sculptures Lost sculptures Samson Sculptures of Heracles Norwich