The Eagle
Owner: KCMO Parks & Rec
Artist: Unknown
Dates: 1935
Medium: Bronze
Description:
The Eagle is Japanese in origin and dates back to the 18th century. It is cast in bronze and illustrates a study in realism of an eagle alighting on a crag. The eagle is very detailed and so is the crag, down to stray leaves on the sides of the crag. The eagle has a wingspan of 14 feet and weighs 2000 pounds. The base is made of native limestone.
The sculpture stood in the courtyard of a Japanese temple before being brought to this country. The Japanese Embassy displayed this sculpture at their exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, also known as the St. Louis World's Fair, in 1904. The J.C. Nichols Company purchased it from a New York art dealer in 1935 and donated it to the City of Kansas City.
