The figures are said to depict the daughters of the Titans; Oceanus and Tethys. They make up eight of the Oceanids that according to mythology were three thousand in number. It is believed the eight that have found themselves depicted in York House Gardens were part of a bigger set of larger than life female nude figures. Brought over from Italy at the end of the 19th century. No one knows what happened to the others. Or at least no ones talking about it. These things have a funny habit of popping up when someone needs to avoid paying large amounts of inheritance tax here in the UK 😆. So we may yet find out.

The figures are carved from Carrara marble from modern day Tuscany in Italy. They came under the care of the local authority when the previous owners failed to sell them, lucky for us. The adjoining York House is still used by Twickenham Council. And they have taken pretty good care of the statues across the last century. Protecting them from the blitz by coating them in a protective 'sludge' to avoid their reflection in the moonlight giving away their location. They also removed this coating and repaired the statues in subsequent years when they were graffitied.