Donal Hord, “Morning”, Black Granite, 1951-1955
“Morning” by Donal Hord, a San Diego artist, is in the Embarcadero Maria Park at Seaport Village, California. The six foot figure made from black granite is a figure of a muscular man, waking in the morning. The man sits on a base of symbols, the sun and moon, fangs and corn. The fangs are an Aztec symbol of man’s birth from the earth and corn is both a Mexican and American Indian symbol for the basic source of life giving food.
Donal Hord carved the sculpture between 1951 and 1955, keeping it at his home. The sculpture was acquired by the Port of San Diego in 1983, twenty three years after his death. Having lived in San Diego most of his life, many of his large outdoor sculptures are located in the city.