OLAUDAH EQUIANO – African, slave, author, abolitionist
Entry ID
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94 (01/02/2022)
Formal title of the work
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OLAUDAH EQUIANO – African, slave, author, abolitionist
Description of the sculpture
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A bronze portrait sculpture depicting 18th-century African author, abolitionist and former slave, Olaudah Equiano. The work was made to commemorate the Bicentenary of the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade in 2007. His autobiography, 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African', is considered to be one of the most important works to address abolition and highly influential in gaining passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, ending the transatlantic slave trade for Britain and its colonies.
URLs where this is recorded/available
Type of object
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Bust – Portrait
Base
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Base present - appears to be the original base
Materials
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Bronze
Specific techniques used
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Casting
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Patination
Overall colour
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Monochrome – other
Does the Black person have a specific identity?
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Identifiable: specific individual
Identity of Black person (real or fictive)
Role within sculpture
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Main protagonist
Gender
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Male
Age
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Adult
Status
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Free citizen
Clothing
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Wearing clothes – European/Western clothing
Evidence of enslavement
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None
Evidence of 'exotic' status
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None
Action or activity
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Not relevant (head)
Emotional state
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Neutral/emotionless
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Noble/proud
Focus of gaze of Black person
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Looking sideways
Sculptor
Place of production
Date of Production
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2006
Date inferred from
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Recorded in related documentation
Original purpose
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Commemorative
Original display setting
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Secular Civic: other
Current owner
Current / most recently known location
Accession number
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WOA S758
Related objects
Current rights holder
License terms for reuse
Linked resources
Filter by property
| Title | Alternate label | Class |
|---|---|---|
 OLAUDAH EQUIANO – African, slave, author, abolitionist |
Related objects | E22 Man-Made Object |
http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/797, . (no date) ‘OLAUDAH EQUIANO – African, slave, author, abolitionist’, Black People in European Sculpture, accessed May 5, 2025, http://13.41.147.145/s/database/item/803
