Collector’s Note
Rolls Royce's legendary radiator mascot, The Spirit of Ecstasy, was first commissioned by the manufacturer from sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes in 1911. Sykes had been responsible for the custom Rolls Royce mascot of the 2nd Baron of Montagu which was called "The Whisper" and hinted at the real life love affair between the Baron and the woman who had been the model for the mascot, Eleanor Thornton. Thornton, who worked as a secretary for Car Illustrated, an early motoring magazine of which the Baron of Montagu had been the editor, was once again chosen as the model for what would become Rolls Royce's official mascot.
Rolls Royce managing director Claude Johnson requested that the mascot represent "the spirit of the Rolls-Royce, namely, speed with silence, absence of vibration, the mysterious harnessing of great energy and a beautiful living organism of superb grace..." to which an equally verbose Sykes delivered a sculpture he described as "A graceful little goddess, the Spirit of Ecstasy, who has selected road travel as her supreme delight and alighted on the prow of a Rolls-Royce motor car to revel in the freshness of the air and the musical sound of her fluttering draperies."
Variations of the sculpture have graced every Rolls Royce model since, and the example we have here, cast on almost 300lbs (130kg) of solid brass, is based upon the original design.
Standing 54.5" tall (including a 3" marble base) 31.5" wide and 36" deep, it would make a magnificent addition to the home or garage of any Rolls Royce enthusiast.