Mason College Heraldic Shields

 Heraldic Shields from Mason College

  • Artist: Unknown maker
  • Date made: c.1870-1880
  • Medium: Carved stone
  • Research and Cultural Collections
  • Accession number: BIRRC-A0601
  • Location: Covered walkway next to Law Building

These carved stone shields were originally installed at Mason Science College which was the precursor to the University of Birmingham. The college was based at Edmund Street in Birmingham city centre and was established by local industrialist Sir Josiah Mason in 1875. Mason came from modest means and rose to fortune through the manufacture of pen nibs. He reinvested significant sums of his amassed wealth into philanthropic causes including alms houses and an orphanage to offer the poorest children of the region a safe home and access to education. Mason Science College was incorporated into the University of Birmingham in 1900.

Detail of one of stone, carved plaques from Heraldic Shield from Mason College
Detail of one of stone, carved plaques from Heraldic Shield from Mason College
Vertical column of four stone, carved plaques and written panel from Heraldic Shields from Mason College with stairway to left and doorway opening to right
Vertical column of four stone, carved plaques and written panel from Heraldic Shields from Mason College

 

Visual description

These stone carved shields are set with a red brick wall of a building under a covered walkway with some stairs up into the building to the left-hand side of the shields. There are four carved stone panels which  are displayed in a vertical column and are warm toned natural stone in colour.

The top panel has a plain outer border. Within that the background is carved with natural leaf-like decorative motifs. At the centre of the top edge there is a flower. In the centre of the panel is a shield-shaped crest featuring two upwards pointing triangle shapes decorated with small and large dots. The background of the shield shape is covered in narrow horizontal lines. Three large plain dots sit at the top right and left corners and bottom point of the shield.

Below this panel narrow dark panel with text inscribed in gold it reads:

‘These shields adorned Sir Josiah Mason’s Science College, which was erected in Edmund Street in 1880, became part of the University of Birmingham from 1900 to 1961 and was demolished in 1964 to make way for the City of Birmingham Library.’

The second from top panel has a plain outer border. Within that the background is carved with natural leaf-like decorative motifs. At the centre of the top edge there is a flower. In the centre of the panel is a shield-shaped crest featuring a castle structure with a central door and three turrets. The background of the shield shape is covered in narrow vertical lines. On the top left corner of the shield are two rectangular tabs, the top one featuring what appear to be two fruits and the bottom what appears to be a single fruit.

The second from bottom panel has a plain outer border. Within that the background is carved with natural leaf-like decorative motifs. In the centre of the panel is a shield-shaped crest separated into four sections. The top left and bottom right sections feature a diagonal line of square shapes each with five dots with a background made up of tight horizontal lines. The top right and bottom left sections feature a polka-dot section with a serrated edge on a background of tight vertical lines.

The bottom panel has a plain outer border. Within that the background is carved with natural leaf-like decorative motifs. In the centre of the panel is a shield-shaped crest featuring a castle structure with a single turret, a central door and three cross-shaped windows. The background of the shield is covered in narrow vertical lines. To the left of the castle structure is a circle shape with a face which appears to represent the sun. To the right of the castle is a crescent shape which appears to represent the moon.