Physical description:
There are 16 panels depicting a 'peaceable kingdom' scene with Adam and Eve and animals and plants. The mural pieces are carved cement and many of the animals have glass (taxidermy and marble) eyes. 13 of the panels are backed with a cement backing panel that includes metal cleats for installation. There are two additional pallets (18 total pallets) that hold the backing supports. Per the artist: "This carved wall is six feet high and twenty-six feet long. It was cut directly in soft case stone, the surface sand-blasted to give it texture."
Content description:
Story of the carved wall in the Mirabeau, Kaiser Center: This is the flowering of the Peaceable Kingdom, the Garden before the fall of man.... The lion lies protectively shielding the lamb, but the lamb has tiger eyes to preserve the balance of nature in the garden... High in the center of the apple-tree Eve offers the apple to Adam. Her side of the Garden is filled with animal mothers and their young: the opossum, the kangaroo, the cat, the baboon and the rabbit (who has lion eyes and is not easily daunted)... Reaching through his primitive jungle, Adam is poised to accept the apple. He is strong, his bear and hair have grown long and he adorns himself with a necklace of flowers.... The cat and dog and mouse, traditional enemies, live peaceably together, and the cat eats grapes while protecting the mouse in the curve of his tail... Beside the lion are the ram, Aries, representing the creative spirit, and the owl who is infinitly wise... a bush-baby with padded toes clings to the fig tree and the sunflower is surrounded with the birds of joy and freedom.... At the beginning, on the left, is the lungfish just emerging from the water and the sculpin standing on his leg-fins, with his wing-fins spread....above is the winged bull and another mythical creature somewhat like the ostrich dinosaur... A horned creature somewhat like the triceratops and the stegosaurus combined lurks under the giant fern... he is called nilitasaurus, and will flourish for a while after the Fall, but like others of Mesozoic era, will become extinct because he is over-armed..." -Emmy Lou Packard September 1967
