California State Capitol
Assembly Chambers
Artists that worked on the California State Capitol Restoration left little tidbits of themselves throughout the project. Michael H. Casey was no different. When installing the ornamentation that he had worked on in the Assembly he added a little creature that expressed his feelings about the goings on in the Assembly Hall. This little fellow happens to face the dais and says oodles about Michael’s sense of humor.
Look to the left of the coffer
While no one every actually has stated who was responsible, it seems silly that it remains a secret now that Michael is no longer alive. I also believe that most people find it such a vital part of the artistic quality of the capitol that its removal would cause much consternation today as damage to any of the fine quality artwork he produced.
A reproduction of the little guy. As you can see it was a quick and whimsical piece of satire.