▁five ▁holding ▁b ask ets ▁with ▁ban anas ▁and ▁five ▁with ▁b ask ets ▁held ▁on ▁their ▁back s , ▁were ▁first ▁built ▁from ▁sugar ▁as ▁well . ▁However , ▁they ▁col lapsed ▁under ▁the ▁heat , ▁and ▁were ▁replaced ▁with ▁versions ▁made ▁of ▁res in ▁and ▁co ated ▁in ▁a ▁layer ▁of ▁mol ass es . ▁Each ▁statue ▁we ighed ▁between ▁ 3 0 0 ▁and ▁ 5 0 0 ▁pounds . ▁ ▁S cul pt ures ▁Walker ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁sil hou ettes ▁dep ict ing ▁st yl ized ▁scenes ▁from ▁the ▁An te bell um ▁South . ▁Although ▁them atically ▁similar ▁to ▁earlier ▁works , ▁the ▁s ph inx ▁and ▁whole ▁installation ▁was ▁a ▁break ▁with ▁Walker ' s ▁earlier ▁work ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁its ▁scale . ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁exhib it , ▁A ▁Sub t le ty ▁is ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁sugar ▁sculpt ures ▁used ▁as ▁decor ation ▁or ▁food ▁in ▁arist ocr atic ▁European ▁households ▁during ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁known ▁as ▁subt let ies ▁in ▁English - spe aking ▁countries . ▁ ▁The ▁s ph inx ▁ev okes ▁s tere ot yp ical ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Mam my ▁arch et ype . ▁Cons istent ▁with ▁the ▁m am my ▁arch et ype , ▁the ▁s ph inx ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁over weight ▁and ▁we ars ▁a ▁bon net . ▁Walker ' s ▁choice ▁to ▁dep ict ▁a ▁m am my ▁was ▁in ▁part ▁inspired ▁by ▁a ▁" M am my ▁mem