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Christopher Cairns, American, b. 1942
Stanchion
bronze, 1984

In Ancient Greece, a standing female was sometimes used as an architectural support, in the place of a column. Sculptor Christopher Cairns evoked this classical tradition by titling his draped figure Stanchion which means a prop or support. Cairns chose to depict a woman emerging from the clay he used to fashion her. For this reason, some people interpret Stanchion as a symbol of metamorphosis.