King Cheetah Head Sculpture in Bronze by Carol Bryant 

King cheetahs carry a genetic mutation that fuses their spots into stripes, a pattern rare enough that the animal is thought extinct in the wild. Carol Bryant studied one closely while volunteering at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wild Dog conservation centre, and made this bronze head to hold on to the experience.

The piece focuses on the head alone, letting Bryant put full detail into the stripe pattern and the set of the eyes without the scale a full body study would need. A silver nitrate patination gives the bronze a darker, more varied surface than a plain polish, close to the tonal range of the animal's actual coat. King cheetahs are a recessive genetic variant rather than a separate species, and only a handful of conservation centres, De Wildt among them, have ever bred them successfully. 

At 42 cm tall, King Cheetah Head suits a plinth, a mantelpiece or a study shelf. It's one of the signature works placed along the winery precinct walk during 'Where the wild things come to rest', Carol Bryant's exhibition at Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, running from 2 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, and is available to buy for the length of the show. 

From the Artist

"Whilst volunteering at the De Wildt Cheetah and Wild Dog conservation centre, I spent a long time observing one particular King cheetah. Due to a genetic mutation, these cats have some of their spots joined up to produce stripes. They are thought to be extinct in the wild. I made this sculpture to keep this magical experience alive." 

Details

• Material: Bronze, silver nitrate patination
• Dimensions: 20 x 24 x 42 cm (L x W x H)
• Weight: 6 kg
• Price: On enquiry

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