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A character sculpture of a jester or fool, a recurring character in Shakespeare plays. The plinth has quotes from 'Twelfth Night', 'As You Like It' and 'Hamlet'.

Title

Jester

Date

1994

Medium

bronze

Accession number

CV37_JB_S016

Acquisition method

gifted to the town by Stratford businessman Anthony P. Bird, OBE

Work type

Statue

Owner

Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Custodian

Stratford-on-Avon District Council

Work status

extant

Unveiling date

22nd July 1994

Access

at all times

Signature/marks description

James Butler RA

Inscription description

side one: O NOBLE FOOL! A WORTHY FOOL! / AS YOU LIKE IT); plaque: THE JESTER / BY JAMES BUTLER RA / UNVEILED BY THE LORD LIEUTENANT / OF WARWICKSHORE / THE RT HON THE VISCOUNT DAVENTRY / ON 22ND JULY 1994 / A GIFT OF ANTHONY P BIRD / TO Stratford-upon-Avon AS A TOKEN OF / HIS ESTEEM FOR THE TOWN IN WHICH HE / WAS BORN, LIVES AND WORKS AND WHICH / HAS GIVEN HIM SO MUCH FRIENDSHIP, GOOD FORTUNE AND PLEASURE.; side two: FOOLERY , SIR, DOES WALK / ABOUT THE ORB LIKE THE SUN; / IT SHINES EVERYWHERE / (TWELFTH NIGHT); side three: THE FOOL DOTH THINK HE IS WISE. / BUT THE WISE MAN KNOWS / HIMSELF TO BE A FOOL. (AS YOU LIKE IT); side four: ALAS! POOR YORICK. / I KNEW HIM. HORATIO: A FELLOW OF INFINITE JEST. / (HAMLET)

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