Tower of London poppy at RSA

050315PBpoppy LEST WE FORGET: Sandra Basalaj from the RSA holds the ceramic rose. PICTURE: PAUL BROOKS

A handcrafted ceramic poppy has made its way across the world to Wanganui RSA.
Part of the Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red art installation at the Tower of London, the poppy was one of 888,246 individually crafted blooms, each representing a British or Colonial fatality during World War 1.
The installation ran from August 5 to November 11 last year to commemorate the centenary of the start of the war.
A generous local has allowed the RSA to put it on display until after Anzac Day.
"I'm going to find a case and we'll put it over the bar," says Kyle Dalton, the new manager of Wanganui RSA.
Created by artists Paul Cummins and Tom Piper, the poppies progressively filled the Tower of London moat from July 17 until Armistice Day, each planted by volunteers from around the world.