Granite: 4x3x3ft 2.00 tons. Location: Nipponzan Myohoji Temple, Willen Lake – Milton Keynes. Sold.

Hiroshima Departed

A figure twists in anguish and looks upwards saying “Let this never happen again.” Carved in memory of those who died in Hiroshima, this sculpture warns of the tragedy of nuclear war. Every year on 6th August, Hiroshima Day, candles are lit around the sculpture.

Purchased from the Ronald Rae Exhibition at Milton Keynes 1995-1999 and gifted to the Temple by art consultant, Edna Read who died tragically in a car crash in October 2012. She is greatly missed.

Granite:5x6x3ft 3.00 tons. Location: Erdington Railway Station, Birmingham. Sold.

Insect and Celtic Cross

In this sculpture Rae tackles subjects dear to him. On one side of the stone the cross relates to his Celtic roots. On the other side, one of the smallest forms of life, the insect, is presented just as large to show respect for life no matter how insignificant it might seem. Purchased from the exhibition at Sheffield by Centro.

Granite: 2x4x3ft 1 tonne. Location: Wetherspoon’s Granite City Restaurant, Aberdeen Airport. Sold.

Baby Boar

Carved from a boulder of Kemnay silver-grey granite, Rae wanted this sculpture to look as if it had been carved by the wind giving it a primeaval quality.

It is an appropriate subject for the restaurant as wild boar often featured on Pictish and Celtic stones being a symbol of hospitality and feasting. The sculpture is sited in the new beer garden where it is a talking point for visitors.

Granite: 4x9x5ft 5.00 tons. Location: Victoria Quays, Sheffield. Sold.

Sacred Cow

Through this work Rae shows his love and concern for all creatures – not only the cow is sacred.

The sculpture was chosen by ballot from the exhibition by the schools and purchased by the Sheffield Development Corporation following the Ronald Rae Sculpture Exhibition at Nunnery Square, Sheffield in 1994. Rae gave a talk to the school children and in return received hundreds of letters and drawings of the sculptures from the pupils which he treasures to this day.

Granite: 5x8x7ft 7.00 tons. Location: Island of Iona. Gifted.

Fallen Christ

Carved in pink and grey Kemnay granite this powerful work portrays the Fallen Christ on the road to Calvary with the burden of the world on his back. His arm becomes the vertical part of the cross with the heavy beam on which are carved the letters I.N.R.I. – Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.

This sculpture is appropriately sited outside the MacLeod Centre on Iona, the island of pilgrimage on the west coast of Scotland where St. Columba landed from Ireland in AD563.

The sculpture is dedicated to the memory of Jim Hughes who was an active member of the Iona Community and friend of the sculptor. Margaret, Jim’s wife who features in the video below sadly died last year her ashes being scattered round the sculpture as Jim’s had been too.

To see a short video about this sculpture go to Latest News on Video at the right hand column of this page and click on Ronald Rae visits his Fallen Christ sculpture on Iona.

The Fallen Christ has inspired many poems – Child’s Play by one of Mull’s leading poets Jan Sutch Pickard beautifully describes a day in the life of the sculpture.

Child’s Play

Sun burnishes the granite,
a blessing on the stone
making it warm as human skin
but still as hard as bone.

Sculpture of the Fallen Christ
like an erratic boulder:
a child at play has clambered up
to perch upon his shoulder

She rides upon the solid rock
joyfully, safely there:
rough stone supports her hands and feet,
the wind plays with her hair.

I see a place of refuge
for a troubled little girl:
God’s back being broad enough to bear
the weight of all the world.

Jan Sutch Pickard – Wild Goose Publications