Now one of the 13 ‘Emperors’ erected on square pillars outside the Sheldonian Theatre has been given a new home in the grounds of an historic home in Horspath.
The three-tonne stone bust was bought at auction by Mensun Bound, the celebrated Oxford marine archaeologist, better known for acquiring his treasures from sunken ships.
But the man who featured in the Dosciver Channel’s Lost Ships series could not pass the chance of grabbing a piece of Oxford history when it up for auction at Mallam’s in Abingdon.
The Emperor will be officially unveiled on Saturday in the courtyard of Horspath Manor, where Mr Bound has lived for 13 years. It was lowered onto pedestal on Tuesday, in less than imperial style, on a local farmer’s forklift truck.
Mr Bound bought the bust for £3,000. He said: “They are known as Emperors but I’ve seen them referred to as philosophers and apostles. It’s good for the bust to remain near Oxford.
“The Worcester College choir will be here singing at the unveiling, which will hopefully raise money for the village church.”
The unveiling will be carried out by the poet and dramatist Francis Warner, of St Peter’s College.
At the Mallam’s sale it was described as “an English limestone sculptured herm bust of a philosopher circa 1860, 56” high 26” deep”.
But Mr Bound has been told it is more likely to be one of the original heads put in place in the late 1660s when Christopher Wren commissioned William Byrd, the Oxford stonemason.
The heads make appearances in major works of literature including John Betjeman’s poetry and Max Beerbohm’s novel Zuleika Dobson.
Source http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/
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