Phyllis Mary Bone ARSA, RSA
Born 15 February 1894
Died 12 July 1972
Active: 1915 - 1972
Country of birth: England
Country of death: Scotland
Sculptor, illustrator
Born in Hornby, Lancashire; the daughter of Dr. D.J.M. Bone. Phyllis was educated at St George's High School in Edinburgh and then at Edinburgh College of Art (1912-18). Bone also trained with the animal sculptor and painter, Edouard Navellier (in 1915-16 and 1918).
After returning to Edinburgh, she quickly established herself as an accomplished sculptor of animal subjects. Many of Bone's sculptures are small statuettes, however she also received several substantial commissions for architectural works in Edinburgh. These schemes include: the animal and heraldic carvings on the south front of the Scottish National War Memorial, the lion and the unicorn at the entrance of the memorial and the series of roundels inside the memorial commemorating the birds and animals used by the armed forces during the First World War (1918-27); a series of seventeen roundels containing reliefs of invertebrates and animals representing the principal zoogeographical regions for the Ashworth Laboratories, Edinburgh University (c.1929); and lion and unicorn reliefs for the Scottish Office, St Andrew's House, Regent Road (c.1936). The architect, Robert Lorimer and her former teacher Alexander Carrick were among her collaborators on these projects.
Bone worked at the Dean Studios for many years (1935-50), where she worked alongside a number of other sculptors. Around 1950 Bone left Edinburgh and she joined an artist's colony on the Solway Firth. She was the first woman to be elected to the Royal Scottish Academy (1944). Bone died in Dumfries hospital.
This record includes information submitted by Alison Mitchell.
Works
Dates are usually the year a work was exhibited so may differ from date of production.
New entries have been made each time a work was exhibited. Click here for more information.
A donkey
1915
Ebenezer the goat
1918
A puma
1918
Bang
1919
A Timber Wolf
1919
Kazan and grey wolf
1920
Mare and foal
1920
Tiger
1921
Bison
1921
Leopard
1922
Sigurd approaches the Castle of Flames
1923
The white cockatoo
1924
Collaborated on Equestrian statuette
1924
Bear cubs at play
1925
Lynx with hare
1925
Panther disturbed while attacking a vulture
1926
The fox and the toad
1927
Carved The Tunnellers' Friends
1927 (Circa)
Heads of the Animals that Served in the War
1927 (Circa)
The Carrier Pigeons
1927
Lion and Unicorn
1927 (Circa)
Collaborated on The Scottish National War Memorial
1918 - 1927
The Scottish National War Memorial: Capitals of Niches, Gargoyles, etc.
1918 - 1927
Designed The Scottish National War Memorial: bronze handles of entrance doors
1927
Plaster model for wood finial on summer house
1928
Dundee
1928
Grizzly bear
1930
The intruder
1931
The tawny owl
1931
The Swan
1931
The Greenland Falcon
1931
The Squirrel
1931
The Twelfth
1931 (Circa)
Wahb, the Grizzly
1931 (Circa)
£42
Mallard disturbed
1932
Mallard preening
1932
Pointing grouse
1932
The Fantail
1932
Squirrels
1933
Polar bears
1934
King penguin
1935
Hunter mare and foal
1935
The kid
1936
The foal
1936
Lioness and cub
1937
Leopard
1937
The Kid
1938
Tiger Running
1938
Polar Bears
1938
The sheep dog
1938
The hind
1939
Kid, Come Along!
1939 (Circa)
Sheep Dog Penning Sheep, Newton Stewart Sheep Dog Trials
1939 (Circa)
Tiger running
1940
Clydesdale foal - one day old
1940
Mallard on the Bank of the River
1940
Cocker resting
1941
An Ayrshire calf
1941
The stolen ration
1941
Mallard drying
1942
The red deer - mother and son
1942
Tranquility
1942
Crafty and powerful
1943
The new calf
1943
Roe deer - disturbed
1943
Good companions
1943
Tawny owl
1943
Just weaned
1944
Working partners
1944
The kid
1944
Wounded woodcock
1944
The happy family
1944
Play
1945
Suspicion
1945
My neighbour's cat
1945
Mother and son
1945
Pioneer
1945
High summer
1946
Suspicion
1946
Mid-day siesta
1946
Winter
1946
Motherhood
1947
The tail
1947
That endless game of chivvy
1947
Sally's foal
1948
Preening and Drying
1948 (Circa)
Roe deer: Suspicion
1948
Study of thoroughbred foal
1949
Joie de vivre
1949
Ambassador (23284)
1949
To pastures new
1949
Carefree days
1950
Windswept
1950
Flash
1950
The shelties
1951
Lonesome
1951
Foal's caprice
1951
All legs!
1951
The Wolf
1951
£18
Locations
Address 15 Blacket Place Edinburgh | View on map
1915 - 1922
Address 5 Alva Street Edinburgh | View on map
1923 - 1935
Address Penninghame House Newton Stewart | View on map
1946 (Circa) - 1948 (Circa)
p. 144
Address 7 Randolph Cliff Edinburgh | View on map
1946 (Circa) - 1950
Based on information submitted by a former neighbour, Bone lived in the lower flat at this address between these dates.
Address Hillview Barrhill Road Kirkcudbright | View on map
1950
p. 149
Studio located at Dean Studios Belford Road Edinburgh | View on map
1935 - 1950
11a Belford Mews
Studio located in No 3 Studio, 1st Balcony, 24 Shadwick Place Edinburgh | View on map
1920
1921d.
Studio located in No 11 Studio, West Stair, 24 Shadwick Place Edinburgh | View on map
1920 (Circa) - 1922 (Circa)
Exhibitions, Meetings, Awards and other Events
Exhibited at The Exhibition of The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Sixth, 1922
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred- and-Sixteenth, 1942
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, One-Hundred-and-Seventeenth, 1943
'Good companions'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, One-Hundred-and-Eighteenth, 1944
'The kid'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Eighty-Ninth, 1915
'A donkey'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Second, 1918
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Third, 1919
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Fourth, 1920
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Fifth, 1921
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Seventh, 1923
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Eighth, 1924
'The white cockatoo'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Ninety-Ninth, 1925
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundredth - Centenary Exhibition, 1926
'Panther disturbed while attacking a vulture'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-First, 1927
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Second, 1928
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Fourth, 1930
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Fifth, 1931
'The intruder'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Sixth, 1932
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Seventh, 1933
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Eighth, 1934
'Polar bears'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Ninth, 1935
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Tenth, 1936
'The kid'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Eleventh, 1937
'Lioness and cub'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twelfth, 1938
'The sheep dog'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Thirteenth, 1939
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Fourteenth, 1940
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Fifteenth, 1941
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Nineteenth, 1945
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twentieth, 1946
'Mid-day siesta'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twenty-First, 1947
'The tail'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Third, 1949
'Joie de vivre'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Fourth, 1950
'Windswept'
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The One-Hundred-and-Twenty-Fifth, 1951
'All legs!'
Exhibited at Thirty-Eighth Annual Exhibition of the Society of Scottish Artists, 1931
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Eighty-Second Annual Exhibition, 1943
'Crafty and powerful'
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Fifty-Eighth Annual Exhibition, 1919
'A Timber Wolf'
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Seventieth Annual Exhibition, 1931
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Seventy-Fourth Annual Exhibition, 1935
'Shere Khan, The Tiger '
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Seventy-Eighth Annual Exhibition, 1939
Multiple works
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Eighty-Seventh Annual Exhibition, 1948
'Preening and Drying'
Exhibited at The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts Ninetieth Annual Exhibition, 1951
'The Fantail '
Exhibited at The 1922 Group Exhibition (New Gallery, Edinburgh), 1924
Exhibited at Palace of Arts Empire Exhibition Scotland, 1938
1938
Institutional and Business Connections
Advisor to The Edinburgh College of Art
1946
As consultant Sculptor on Adjudication Commitee for Student Competition.
Collaborated with Donaldson & Burns
1927 (Circa)
Donaldson & Burns did stone carving for Bone on the Scottish National War Memorial
Elected ARSA The Royal Scottish Academy
15 March 1939
Elected RSA The Royal Scottish Academy
1944
First woman to be elected.
Member of Society of Scottish Artists
1926
Received travel scholarship from The Edinburgh College of Art
1915 - 1916
£15
Studied under Nevallier
Student at The Edinburgh College of Art
1912 - 1918
Worked for Holyrood Pottery
1920 (Circa)
Designed small animal figures
Personal and Professional Connections
Apprenticed to Edouard Félicien Eugene Navellier
1918 (Circa)
Collaborated with Hazel Ruthven Armour
on Scottish National War Memorial
Nominated by Benno Schotz
1939
Nominator of Thomas Good
1943
RSA (seconded by Bone)
Nominator of Scott Sutherland
1943
Nominator of Julian Phelps Allan
1947
RSA
Shared studio with Morag Burn-Murdoch
1920 (Circa) - 1922
Studied under Alexander Carrick
1912 - 1918
Studied under Percival (Percy) Herbert Portsmouth
1912 - 1918
Studied with Charles D'Orville Pilkington Jackson
1912 - 1918
Studied with Hazel Ruthven Armour
1918
Worked with Robert Stodart Lorimer
1918 (Circa) - 1927 (Circa)
Descriptions of Practice
Listed under Sculptors Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory 1930-1931
p. 1205
Listed under Sculptors
Sources
Artists' Papers Register
2007
http://www.apr.ac.uk/artists/searches/artistrecs.asp?ARID=GB/NNAF/P2924 (accessed 03/08)
Edinburgh & Leith Post Office Directory 1930-1931
1930
p. 1205
Listed under Sculptors
England & Wales Christening Records, 1530-1906
2008
Name: Phyllis Mary Bone
Gender: Female
Birth Date: 15 Feb 1894
Christening Date: 15 Feb 1894
Christening Place: Hornby, Lancashire, England
Age at Christening: 0
Father's Name: Douglas John Mayhew Bone
Mother's Name: Mary Campbell
Lorimer and the Edinburgh Craft Designers
1980
One Hundred and Forty-Fifth Annual Report of the Council of The Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, 1972
1972
Obituary, pp. 10-11
Palace of Arts
Empire Exhibition
Scotland
1938
The Fine Art Section of the Empire Exhibition
1938
The Edinburgh College of Art Report by the Board of Management for the session 1914 -1915
1915
p. 30
The Royal Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts, Catalogue, 1943
1943
p. 25
The Royal Scottish Academy Nomination Forms for Associateship Rank. 1931-1941
p. 57
The Scottish National War Memorial, A Record and Appreciation
1928 (Circa)
The Times Digital Archive 1785-1985
2008
The Times, Friday, Jul 14, 1972; pg. 18; Issue 58530; col G
Miss Phyllis Bone
Category: Obituaries
Citing this record
'Phyllis Mary Bone ARSA, RSA', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/person.php?id=msib6_1204107282, accessed 08 Jun 2023]
