Cleopatra’s Needle
Needle Case
Design Representation
Design Details
Needle Case Type: |
Figural (diamond mark on needle case matches this design registration) |
Patent/Registered to: |
William Avery & Son - Redditch |
Patent/Design Representation #: |
Ornamental Class1: Metal: #309319 |
Patent/Design Registration Date: |
April 14, 1877 |
Location of Patent/Design Registration: |
The National Archives (TNA) - Kew, UK |
Reference #: |
TNA Representation - BT 43/42/309319
TNA Register - BT 44/3/309319
Also listed in TNA BT43/71/309319 |
Dimensions: |
4.4 x 4.4 x 10 |
Material: |
Brass |
Name Variations: |
a) W. Avery & Son - Redditch
b) Cormack Bros. - London |
Other Variations: |
None |
Additional Photographs
Front closed and front opened
Bottom view and signature detail
Detail Views
Bottom detail with Cormack Bros. signature (photo from eBay)
Facts
Cleopatra’s Needle is an Ancient Egyptian obelisk that was re-erected in the City of Westminster in London in 1878. It is 69 feet high
and weighs 224 tons. All four sides of the red granite monument are inscribed with Egyptian hieroglyphics.
History
Two obelisks were originally erected in the city of Heliopolis, Egypt around 1450 BC. The hieroglyphics were added about 200 years later
by Ramesses II to commemorate his military accomplishments. In 12BC they were moved by the Romans to a temple in Alexandria that
Cleopatra built to honor Mark Anthony or Julius Caesar. Later they fell over and were partially buried in the sand for nearly 2000
years. In 1819 the ruler of Egypt presented one of the obelisks to the United Kingdom to memorialize the British victories in the Battle
of the Nile and the Battle of Alexandria in 1801 which were part of the Napoleonic Wars. At the time the British Government didn’t feel
the obelisk was worth the cost to transport it to England, so it wasn’t until 1877 when a wealthy Englishman funded the effort that is was moved
to London.
Location
Today Cleopatra’s Needle can be found on the Victoria Embankment near the Golden Jubilee Bridges. It is flanked on both sides by bronze
replicas of Egyptian sphinxes. Its twin can be found in Central Park in New York City. A third obelisk with the same name is
located at the Place de la Concorde in Paris France.
