Peri

Artist: Joseph Mozier (1812-1870)
Ca. 1860
Medium: White Carrara Marble
2019.10.01 EL - Acklen Family Permanent Loan from the Mausoleum

Sculpted by Joseph Mozier (1812-1870), this figure was purchased by Adelicia in New York upon her return from Europe in 1866. Called the "Peri", it represents a fallen angel who is repentent and is waiting to return to heaven. The subject matter originated from a popular poem of the time. The statue was displayed in the Grand Salon from its arrival in Nashville until Adelicia's death in 1887. She requested it be placed in her mausoleum at Mount Olivet where it resided until 2020, when it was removed for conservation. Two modern castings of the statue were produced in 2020 for the the mausoleum and for exhibit in the Grand Salon. The original sits in the exhibit gallery.

The original statue was produced in Mozier's studio in Rome, then shipped to America for exhibition and eventual sale. Current research documents three statues of this form were produced, only two are known to have srvived.