Origin Of The Moifaa
New works by Christopher and Nicola Cox, Moifaa Console and Moifaa Dining, are steeped in history, and personal stories drawn from the artists’ own lives.
Learn about the story behind Moifaa and the history that inspired its design.
Origin Story
The first Moifaa was crafted over ten years ago in cast bronze by artists Christopher and Nicola Cox. The base of the table was inspired by the legendary racehorse Moifaa, who travelled by sea from New Zealand in 1904, survived a shipwreck off the coast of Ireland, and ultimately went on to win the Grand National. After this extraordinary victory, Moifaa was purchased by King Edward VII and became his favourite horse, leading his royal funeral cortège in 1910.
Christopher and Nicola Cox were particularly drawn to the image of a horse surviving a shipwreck, the connection to Nicola's native home New Zealand, and the broader theme of resilience and survival. They first came across the story through an inscription on an antique brass bed that they now have at their home, commemorating the 1904 Grand National win.
Christopher discovered the bed in an antique shop in Islington, London, and they restored it together. In addition, Nicola's grandmother was born just a year earlier, in 1903, which made the story feel even more personal. They have often wondered whether the bed may have been a commemorative gift to the jockey after his win with Moifaa.
In fact, the legend of the Moifaa was created by an imaginative journalist in a blending of stories. The racehorse that survived a traumatic shipwreck was a different horse: Kiora, who also competed in the same race in 1904, but was originally from South Africa. Ki-o-ra is a Māori greeting; spoken by the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. This only added to their interest, creating an uncanny connection between Nicola, the bed they uncovered, and these two impressive horses.
Moifaa Horse (King Edward as a Sportsman 1911)
The Works
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Moifaa Dining
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Cox’s abstract interpretation of equine legs in water captures the horse’s powerful motion as it triumphed against the odds. Originally sculpted in clay by the artists, the bronze base is cast at the Cox Foundry in London and finished with a rich patina.
The heavily sculpted leg motif is reciprocated in the richly figured Burl Oak top, framed by solid English Burl Oak edging with classical Ogee profile.
Moifaa Console
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A brand new variation of the Moifaa 2, The Moifaa Console pays homage to the Baroque, the artistic period and movement that flourished in Europe during the 17th century. Characterised by an ornate aesthetic and a sense of movement, these qualities are reflected in the curvature of both the legs and the supporting bronze apron.
The stone top resting on the legs is Calacatta Viola marble, distinguished by its sweeping veins of deep reds and violets, created by the high concentrations of iron in the stone of the Tuscan Alps of Italy.
