Nine Satellites

Purbeck Pondfreestone and Welsh slate, 2003 (private collection)
Diameter, 30cm.

Designed as a garden ornament and the first in a series of spheres ranging in size from 15cm to over 1.5 metres, this globe is inscribed and painted with the names of nine plants and flowers: Iris, Sunflower, Hydrangea, Rose Mallow, Chrysanthemum, Apricot Blossom, Peach Blossom, Sharon’s Rose and Cherry Tree. These are also the romantic names given to communication satellites by the Japanese and the Koreans.