Brass Monkey

By Chris Humphreys

2004. Bronze.

In long ago wars artillerymen had a brass plate called a ‘monkey’, which sat on the ground along side the cannon. This plate held 30 iron cannonballs stacked pyramid-like, until on freezing nights the monkey would shrink and the balls would fall off, hence the expression ‘cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey’.

This friendly chap is showing relief having protected the last two balls on the plate. Resemblance to any person is unplanned, purely accidental.

This work can be found outside the newsagent on the corner of Maryland and Railway streets.