Uroboros (sculpture)

Uroboros is an outdoor 1979 sculpture by Charles Kibby, located at Westmoreland Park in the Sellwood neighborhood of southeast Portland, Oregon. It is a modern depiction of the uroboros, an ancient Egyptian and Greek symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail.

Description and history


According to the Regional Arts & Culture Council, which administers the work, the cast concrete sculpture measures 48 in x 14 in x 72 in and rests on a base that measures 24 in x 20 in x 20 in. The organization lists "MAC 1979–80" as the funding source. However, the Smithsonian Institution lists the sculpture's measurements as 45 in x 45 in x 16 in, on a base that measures approximately 21 in x 20 in x 16 in. The Smithsonian categorizes Uroboros as abstract ("geometric") and notes that it was commissioned by the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) before being donated to the park.

The sculpture is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.