Herm Statue

Statues integrated the human element and formality into the Edwardian garden. This art nouveau herm located by the greenhouse is original to Ruthmere’s property. A herm is a sculpture with a head and a torso above a plain, usually squared lower section. Herms originated in ancient Greece and were placed at crossings, country borders and boundaries as protection. They were also associated with fertility and luck. The herm at Ruthmere is unsigned weathered marble. It is American, based upon a French model, sculpted circa 1900.