Goddess Ceres Takes a Trip

ClareBroommaker's picture

I think it was in 1928 that the state of Missouri put a statue of Ceres atop the dome of the capitol building. (Inside the building, the walls have panoramic murals by Thomas Hart Benton in scenes that include grain growing and other agriculture.) This past autumn the state removed Ceres in order to do huge amounts of maintenance on the building. Here is Ceres, flying --er, being hoisted-- through the air, with a state flag alternately flapping proudly, then wrapping her body.

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ClareBroommaker's picture

Ceres was made to lay in repose, funeral-like, but she raised an arm to wave goodbye.

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ClareBroommaker's picture

Finally she was towed away on a trailer which, curiously, was labled, RICE.

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David Trammel's picture

I saw no mention of this in my local news.

Ceres was a goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships. Amazing that such a bible thumping state put a Roman goddess on their state capital building, lol.

ClareBroommaker's picture

After a year's restoration and also restoring the building itself, a state legislator is asking the governor to halt the statue being re-set atop the capitol on the grounds that it is a false god and that his god's image would not be allowed to have such a position

https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/say-no-to-false-go...

https://www.missourinet.com/2019/12/09/ceres-expected-to-return-to-top-o...

I'd love to have it in my garden..