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Photo. 3 ^ Over the main entrance - A sculptured figure of
Commerce above a broken pediment that once surmounted a single central entrance.
Photo. 4 ^ This statue at the centre of the huge building's Church Street façade is a variant of the city's arms, in which
Neptune (on the left) and a
Triton (on the right) are normally depicted standing upright. The shield, depicting the Liver bird holding a piece of seaweed, is atypically ornate too, but the motto, 'Deus Nobis Hæc Otia Fecit' ('God has bestowed these blessings on us') is standard.
Source: Liverpool Walks.
Question: "[why these] varied architectural devices on the same building?"
Firstly, the building appears to be a homage to the French Renaissance Style. Maybe with an eye on it's Parisian retail competitor
Bon Marche. Who later opened their own Church Street store, following their one in Paris.
The architectural ornaments themselves, are varied and represent different things.
Ornament, the word, is derived from L.
ornare to "equip, adorn" [meaning to prepare, furnish, fit out]. So by choosing the correct ornaments we are equiping, or preparing the building for it's life. This has it's roots in preparing warriors for battle [adorning them, arming them, is equiping them]. Also, in dressing religious buildings [temples for instance] with festoons, garlands, offerings, congregation, we are preparing them for a particular communion with god, usually on a noted festival days.
We are equiping the building for it's life, and what might a building need for a successful and long life? It would need to have a good relationship with the forces that control it's fate. So ornaments were set up to appeal and appease [offerings] those gods that had dominion over the building, it's inhabitants, and their business.
In photo. 4 we have the Liverpool coat of arms, with
Nepture on one side, and
Triton on the other. Notice, these are all pagan gods.
Britainia is absent, as she normally appears on Public buildings, like the Town Hall, and St. George's Hall pediment [now missing] being prime examples. This highlights the importance of Liverpool's continued good fortune [after
Fortuna the Roman goddess] and it's special relationship with the sea.
The corner-stone offices, [photos 1 and 2] representing the British crown, and the US state eagle, illustrate the importance of alliance, for the the success of the building. They are both first floor office windows, with the best views; the corner-stones of the enterprise.
The final sculpture [photo. 4] is that of
Commence sitting over a broken pediment, above the main entrance, keeping a watchful eye over all that enter the building, and undoubtedly offering some blessing as they pass?
EDIT: It's worth adding that, the architect's were just following a particular style, and paying homage to ancient customs and practices that they'd copied from ancient Greece and Rome. It was afterall, Victorian christian Britain.
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