Puff, The Magic Dragon Sculpture in Bronze by Carol Bryant 

Every other sculpture in Carol Bryant's collection comes from direct observation, a real animal, watched and studied before it's modelled. Puff, The Magic Dragon is the exception, a piece built entirely from imagination rather than a field sighting. Bryant still applied the same discipline to it, though, working out a plausible skeleton and muscle structure before adding the dragon's fantastical detail on top.

The result reads as anatomically credible in a way pure fantasy sculpture often doesn't, scales and wings built over a frame that could, in principle, support them. A silver nitrate patination gives the bronze a mottled, uneven surface that suits the subject better than a flat polish would, closer to old scale or weathered stone than a smooth fantasy figure.

At 35 cm long and 8 kg, the dragon is easy to place and easy to move, a lighter, more playful addition to a collection otherwise built around African and British wildlife. It's part of 'Where the wild things come to rest', Carol Bryant's exhibition at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, on show from 2 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and is available to buy for the length of the show.

From the Artist

"This sculpture is a flight of fancy, but as with all structures, the underlying skeleton had to be observed. I enjoyed making the dragon because I could let my imagination run free."

Details

• Material: Bronze, silver nitrate patination
• Dimensions: 35 x 24 x 35 cm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 8 kg
• Price: On enquiry

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