Benjamin Water House Hawkins Iguanodon

A scale model in patina plaster of the iguanodon made by the sculptor Benjamin Water House Hawkins under the direction of the paleontologist Richard Owem. History: the dinosaurs from which this iguanodon came were commissioned in 1852 to liven up the gardens of the Crystal Palace. The iguanodon was represented by the artist in an erroneous way and it was not until 1878, 25 years after the creation of his scuyque, that a complete skeleton of an iguanodon was discovered in Belgium, allowing a more accurate representation of the animal. The piece presented, which is very rare, seems to have been taken from a teaching set of the time, which no doubt some faculties were equipped with. The condition is quite good for this plaster object with a green patina with some wear on the protruding parts and a crack flow on the terrace at the level of the right foreleg without any consequence on the unity of the object. Old trace of label on the terrace between the forelegs and label under the terrace "Émile Bertrand Paris, iguanodon pluvin". Length 50 cm Width 15 cm height 34 cm