The final ceramic poppy, from Paul Cummins and set designer Tom Piper’s commemorative installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, has been removed from the Tower of London and is on its way to its owner.
Every 888,246 ceramic poppy, each representing a British or colonial fatality in the first world war, was sold for £25 and distributed between six service charities.
A controversial review from Guardian journalist Jonathan Jones failed to turn public support for the memorial. “It’s disturbing that, 100 years on, we can only mark this terrible war as a nationalistic tragedy … a deeply aestheticised, prettified and toothless war memorial,” he wrote.
Three of the 24,000 poppy-planters spoke to the Guardian about why they were involved:
“The futility of the war is rammed home with every poppy hammered into the ground. ‘What good did their deaths do?’ was asked again and again as we planted. ‘What have we learned from it?’ was another”
Did you buy a ceramic poppy, and why? Where will you display it? And were you put off by negative reviews? Share your images and thoughts via GuardianWitness, or by commenting in the thread below
