Ancient statues are considered relics from the distant past. However, they sometimes contain other relics like scrolls, letters, money, or other items of historical importance.

The finds are often surprising and coincidental because nobody would expect to find such items in the statues. But as we are about to find out, the items are often deliberately hidden inside.

10 Two Letters Were Found In The Buttocks Of A Statue Of Jesus

A few years ago, two letters were found hidden inside the buttocks of a 240-year-old statue of Jesus in St. Agueda, Spain. After a preservationist made the discovery, the team removed a part of the sculpture to reveal two notes inside the buttocks.

The notes were written in 1777 by Joaquin Minguez, a clergyman at the Burgo de Osma cathedral in Spain. Minguez wrote that the statue was made by Manuel Bal, who also made similar sculptures for other cathedrals. Minguez added that they had successfully harvested wheat, rye, oats, and barley that season and had lots of wine in storage.

He also wrote that typhoid had plagued their village and they often played ball and cards to while away the time. He added that King Carlos III reigned at that time and his palace was in Madrid. The church that owned the statue had the letters duplicated. The originals were sent to the Archbishop of Burgos to be archived, while the copies were returned to the buttocks.^[1]

9 The Skeleton Of A Self-Mummified Monk Was Found Inside A Buddha Statue

In the 1990s, the statue of a Buddha was discovered to contain the real skeleton of a monk. Apparently, the monk self-mummified sometime in the 10th century. His remains were later turned into a statue.

Self-mummification is peculiar to Buddhists. It refers to a deliberate act by monks to turn themselves into mummies as they slowly died. The process is long and arduous. In fact, it begins three years before death. First, the monks adopt a tree-eating diet. That is, they only feed on nuts, roots, berries, and bark.

Between 1,000 and 3,000 days later, they begin what is called nyujo. They stop eating and only drink water mixed with salt as they slowly meditate to death. They are buried alive at the brink of death. Their remains are later exhumed to confirm if they have decayed or turned into a mummy.

Such mummies are rare and one in a statue is even more unusual. In fact, the body of the Buddha we mentioned earlier is the only known example of self-mummification inside a statue.

After he died, his mummified remains were displayed in a temple for two more centuries. However, the body slowly disintegrated, prompting some monks to encase it in a statue. The skeleton could not be analyzed over fears that it could disintegrate if removed. However, an X-ray revealed that the skeleton was in perfect condition.^[2]

8 Ancient Money Found Inside Ancient Chinese Statue

In 2016, Australian art experts discovered an ancient banknote inside the hollowed head of a 645-year-old wooden statue of a Chinese Buddha. The banknote was the size of a standard letter, making it larger—and weirder—than today’s bills.

Writings on the paper indicated that it was issued in 1371. This was during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. The banknote was valued at one guan, equivalent at the time to 1,000 copper coins or 28 grams (1 oz) of silver.

Writings on the banknote encouraged citizens to report counterfeiters, who were threatened with decapitation. Nevertheless, this rare specimen is one of the earliest banknotes ever made. This type of cash was almost exclusive to China in 1371. Europe still used coins and slowly switched to banknotes about 300 years later.

Interestingly, the discovery was only made by chance. The statue was being prepped for auction when the banknote was found. Curiously, neither of its two previous owners managed to find the bill. The banknote was later listed for auction.^[3]

7 Statue Of Jesus Discovered To Contain Human Teeth

In 2014, a wooden statue of Jesus was undergoing restoration in Mexico when it was discovered to contain real human teeth. The statue was called Christ of Patience and depicted Jesus as he awaited crucifixion. He is bloodied and seated as he awaits his fate.

Preservationists do not know how the 300-year-old statue ended up with real human teeth. In truth, old statues from that region of Mexico often have real nails, teeth, and hair. We have found a statue of baby Jesus with two small rabbit teeth, a statue of a devil with dog teeth, and several other statues with real human hair.

However, a statue with real human teeth was unheard-of. The chompers were in perfect condition, which sort of makes the whole thing weird. The mouth of the statue was always closed, making the teeth almost impossible to see. In fact, preservationists only discovered them while taking an X-ray of the statue.

Preservationists suspect that the teeth were taken from a living or dead worshiper who wanted them donated to the church. Mexican Christians often donated body parts to churches in the 17th and 18th centuries. Alternatively, the teeth could have been forcibly taken from somebody who did not want to donate them.^[4]

6 Cocaine

Drug smugglers need to be innovative to remain in business. This has seen them inventing all sorts of strange methods to evade detection, such as hiding drugs inside statues. A more radical method is to make sculptures from drugs.

In 2010, police in Colombia recovered a World Cup replica made with cocaine just before it was shipped out of Bogota airport to Spain. The statue was made with 11 kilograms (24 lb) of cocaine mixed with either acetone or gasoline so that it could be molded.

In the United States, a statue of Jesus was seized during transportation from Mexico to Dallas, Texas. The sculpture contained 3 kilograms (6 lb) of cocaine and several other unidentified materials so that the figure could be molded. Sniffer dogs uncovered the plot.^[5]

5 Keys And Love Letters Found Inside A Statue Of Juliet

A few years ago in Verona, Italy, a bronze statue of Juliet—Romeo’s love in the Shakespearean tragedy Romeo and Juliet—was discovered to contain hundreds of keys and love letters. The items were detected during a restoration around Valentine’s Day in 2015.

The statue was sculpted in 1969 and was installed in Verona because it is considered the hometown of the fictional Juliet. However, the sculpture has slowly deteriorated as tourists often rubbed the breasts and arms for good luck. This caused it to wear and, ultimately, crack.

Soon, tourists began to insert love letters through these cracks into the hollow interior of Juliet. There were also lots of keys because lovers sometimes wrote their names on small padlocks before throwing or hiding the keys somewhere. The keys and letters were only discovered when preservationists tried sealing the cracks and creating a duplicate of the statue.^[6]

4 Confederate Flags, Newspapers Clippings, And Confederate Currency Found Inside A Controversial Confederate Statue

For years, a 363-kilogram (800 lb) statue of a Confederate soldier called Johnny Reb stood in Orlando, Florida. The statue became controversial and was widely condemned for being racist and a symbol of white supremacy. This controversy culminated in its removal in 2017.^[7]

At that time, a small metal box was discovered hidden at the base of the statue. The box was later revealed to contain newspaper clippings, Confederate flags, and Confederate dollar bills. The statue itself was moved to a cemetery and installed near the graves of 37 Confederate soldiers.

3 Letters, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, And Autographs Found Inside Statue

In 2014, the statue of the golden lion atop the Old State House in Boston was discovered to contain a time capsule. It was found in the head of the lion as the sculpture was removed for renovation.

Interestingly, the time capsule was not always forgotten. Its existence was reported in The Boston Globe in 1901. However, the time capsule was soon forgotten and only remembered when a descendant of the statue’s sculptor found a letter written by the artist. The letter mentioned the existence of the capsule and listed its contents.

According to the letter, the capsule contained newspaper clippings, photographs, and autographs. There were also several letters written by Boston politicians and residents. Boston city officials intend to make duplicates of the statue’s contents and put them in the statue along with some newer items so they can be discovered again in the 22nd century.^[8]

2 Scrolls Found Inside Buddhist Statue

In May 2018, it was reported that a 700-year-old, 76-centimeter-tall (30 in) Bodhisattva statue at Hokkeji Temple in Nara, Japan, was discovered to contain 180 items. The statue was of Monju Bosatsu, Bodhisattva of wisdom.

Monjus are often depicted as a human seated on a lion. The human holds a Buddhist book in one hand and a sword in the other. Sitting on a lion depicts the fact that the human has tamed their mind. The literature signifies knowledge, and the sword shows they have “cut through ignorance.”

The 180 items included scrolls, relics, and other unconfirmed artifacts. Thirty were found in the head, and the other 150 were inside the body. However, we cannot confirm the contents of the scrolls because the discovery was made during a CT scan. The statue itself remains sealed.^[9]

1 A Gold Statue Is Found Inside Another Statue

Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon is a 2.7-meter-tall (9 ft) Buddha statue in Bangkok, Thailand. The sculpture used to be covered in stucco, giving it an appearance of a worthless artifact. It is believed to have been sculpted in India sometime between the 13th and 14th centuries.

The statue arrived Bangkok in 1801 and was displayed in a temple of Wat Chotanaram. It was later moved to Wat Traimit in 1935. However, the sculpture was so huge—and worthless—that it was left outside the temple for years. Only a tin roof protected it from the elements.

In 1955, the statue fell as it was about to be transported to another temple in Bangkok. The stucco plaster covering it cracked, revealing parts of the gold statue inside. Workers removed the remaining stucco to reveal the 18-carat gold within.

The gold statue was made in nine parts. There was also a key so that the parts could be dismantled for transportation. Historians believe that the statue was covered with stucco to hide it from the invading Burmese in the 17th century. The plan worked. The invaders abandoned the statue because they thought it was worthless.^[10]

Some monuments and statues instill a sense of pride, beauty, and country—those unforgettable works of art that you saw on field trips and in the pages of history books. But there are also less-explored monuments—odes to the weird, the wonderful, and the just plain wacky. There are thousands of commemorative monuments out there and plenty of roadside guides and travel books to point you in the right direction to see them. These quirky monuments draw in tons of visitors per year; sometimes, it’s just too hard to resist the bizarre.

10 Boll Weevil Monument

There is nothing out of the ordinary about erecting a statue to commemorate a noble person or a period in history. However, a memorial for an insect is far less common. In Enterprise, Alabama, visitors have the unique opportunity to visit the Boll Weevil Monument, a statue of a woman proudly displaying a large boll weevil above her head. The monument was constructed in 1919 as a symbol of the perseverance of local farmers.

It seems that this particular agricultural pest wreaked havoc on the cotton crop and forced farmers to take up planting peanuts instead, a move that turned out to be extremely profitable for the town. The statue sits in the middle of Main Street and receives several visitors each year. The plaque on the monument reads, “In profound appreciation of the Boll Weevil and what it has done as the herald of prosperity, this monument is erected by the citizens of Enterprise.”

9 Carhenge

Nearly all of us have heard of Stonehenge, but you’d be hard pressed to find many who have heard of Carhenge. This bizarre monument sits in the grassy planes of Alliance, Nebraska, a memorial to the classic American cars of yesteryear. The cars, mostly from the 1950s and 1960s, are situated in a circle with their noses in the ground and yet more cars balancing on top of them. The roadside attraction was built in the 1980s and mimics the exact arrangement of Stonehenge.

The maker of this odd monument created it to commemorate his father. The property upon which it resides contains other automotive tributes, including a cemetery dedicated to fallen foreign vehicles. In 2011, Carhenge was put up for sale with an asking price of $300,000. That may seem like a steep price, but it is estimated that this quirky site attracts around 80,000 visitors per year from all over the globe.

8 Enema Monument

Why anyone would want to build an ode to an enema is beyond most, but such a monument does exist in the southern Russian city of Zheleznovodsk. The bronze memorial weighs 360 kilograms (800 lb), is 1.5 meters (5 ft) tall, and is balanced on the backs of three naked cherubs. The enema is considered a work of art by the director of the Mashuk-Akva Term Spa and is proudly displayed in the front courtyard of the building. The mountainous region where the spa is located is known for its digestive treatments, which involve enemas filled with natural spring water to help patients deal with intestinal discomfort. In this way, the enema actually serves as a symbol of local health services.

The statue cost a whopping $42,000 and was unveiled in 2008 to an excited crowd. A banner stuck on one of the spa walls read, “Let’s beat constipation and sloppiness with enemas.” The sculptor who created the enema said that she did so with irony and humor in mind. Her goal was to model the three angels after those seen in works from the Italian Renaissance. No doubt Botticelli would be proud.

7 Steve Jobs Monument

After the death of Steve Jobs, an interactive iPhone was erected in front of St. Petersburg’s National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics, and Optics. The memorial had a lit display with a slideshow displaying photographs and videos from the life and career of Jobs, focusing on his many achievements as CEO of Apple. The phone also had a large QR code on the back, which visitors were able to scan and be redirected to a website commemorating Jobs.

Despite being quite popular, the giant iPhone was taken down by Russian officials only a year after it was unveiled. The firm that originally put the memorial up decided to dismantle it the day after Tim Cooke, Apple’s newest CEO, announced his sexual orientation. A Russian news station reported that the monument was removed because of the country’s homosexuality laws involving minors and because it was revealed that there may be a tie between Apple’s products and national security. The college where the iPhone was displayed denies these claims and states that the phone was malfunctioning and needed to be repaired. The monument has not been put back up.

6 Shit Fountain

Artist Jerzy Kenar got tired of stepping out of his Chicago home and constantly stepping in dog poop. So, he decided to put his talents to good use and created a visual monument that would serve as a reminder to the dog owners of the neighborhood to scoop up what their pups leave behind. Enter Shit Fountain, a fecal-shaped bronze coil on top of a cement pillar with the monument’s title carved into the side.

The statue also has water trickling over the top of it in order to give it that freshly excreted look. The fountain is beloved by passersby, and people often have their photos taken squatting above the statue or mimicking quenching their thirst. The artist believes that it has helped local dog owners to be more conscientious and finds the work to be an important part of the neighborhood scenery.

5 The Headington Shark

The 8-meter-tall (25 ft) fiberglass Headington Shark is hard to miss not just because of its length, but more so because it appears to be crashing headfirst into the roof of a cozy British house. The shark was placed on the house’s roof on August 9, 1986, the 41st anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing, by the homeowner as a statement about the devastation brought on by the use of nuclear weapons. The local neighborhood council wasn’t particularly thrilled about the bizarre leviathan and attempted to have it removed. However, the homeowner successfully appealed to the British Secretary of the Environment on behalf of the shark and was able to save it from being taken down.

Visitors from around the world flock to New High Street to see the shark each year. Many come to celebrate the shark’s birthday. Drinks and cake are served, and the owner of the home signs copies of his book, The Hunting of the Shark. The home (shark attached) went up for rent in 2014 for just over £2,000 a month. The owner prefers to rent to individuals who don’t mind visitors taking photographs of the shark and who don’t mind answering the occasional question about its meaning. Ironically, however, he has asked that only tenants without pets inquire.

4 Die Badende

“Die Badende” translates to “The Bather,” and one look at the statue in the Inner Alster Lake in Hamburg, Germany, will tell you why. The huge sculpture of a woman’s head and bare knees was on display for only 10 days and gave the body of water the appearance of a giant bathtub. The Bather was 20 meters (67 ft) long and weighed more than 2 tons. Tourists came in droves to view the woman before she was removed weeks later by a large crane. Swimming through her parted legs was particularly popular among boats crammed with visitors.

Artist Oliver Voss created the sculpture as an advertisement for British beauty company Glory. The company wanted to make a “big splash” in thanking the German people for embracing their latest line of products. The advertisement proved very successful; customers and a large crowd gathered to watch the woman hoisted from the water. The movers had a large towel ready to conceal her lady bits from peeping eyes.

3 Jimmy Carter Peanut

The Jimmy Carter Peanut might give you nightmares, standing at 4 meters (13 ft) tall with a wide, toothy smile and no eyes. The peanut can be found on the side of the road in Plains, Georgia. The structure started out far from Georgia, however. It was actually constructed in Indiana in 1976 to honor Jimmy Carter’s visit to the state during his presidential campaign tour. Why was a giant, smiling peanut, of all things, used as a tribute? Well, before he was president, Carter was actually a peanut farmer.

The statue also possesses the same grin that was known so fondly as one of Carter’s most handsome traits during his years in office. In 2000, a car struck the poor peanut, causing it to topple over. But don’t worry: The peanut was restored to its former glory and can still be visited today. Not surprisingly, it’s the most (if not the only) photographed thing in Plains.

2 Jeju Loveland

The salacious monuments found on Jeju Island in South Korea were made to honor sexual acts. The park itself is called Jeju Loveland and arouses more than just curiosity from its many visitors. The theme park opened in 2004 and has a collection of more than 140 erotic statues depicting sexual encounters between both humans and animals. The goals of the theme park are to break down barriers and taboo feelings surrounding sex and promote the “natural beauty of sexuality.”

The park is roughly the size of two soccer fields, and it takes visitors about an hour to see all that it has to offer. The statues were created by graduate students from Seoul’s Hongik University and have an educational function as well. Many marriages in South Korea are arranged, and as such, couples can find themselves in the situation of being new to the delights of marriage. Jeju Loveland has become a popular spot for honeymooners to visit and receive a type of crash course in sex education. The theme park wants to be open to all types of visitors and even has a playground for anyone visiting with children.

1 Brownnosers

Brownnosers, created by Czech artist David Cerny, takes the term “brownnoser” to an entirely new (and literal) level. The two statues stand, or rather bend over, outside the Futura Gallery in Prague. The two figures are positioned side-by-side with the lower portions of their torsos protruding from a cement wall. Viewers are invited to climb ladders attached to the open anuses of the figures and stick their heads inside the openings.

Inside the statue is a video depicting the Czech President Vaclav Klaus and the head of the National Gallery spoon-feeding one another. The video shows the two men (really actors) in masks, feeding each other to the tune of Queen’s famous song “We Are The Champions.” The piece is meant as a criticism not only of the political situation in the Czech Republic, but as a physical manifestation of the artist’s disdain for the National Gallery. In fact, Cerny’s hate for the gallery runs so deep that he actually refused to accept the award they gave him. He stated that upon meeting the curator of the museum, “It was hate at first sight.”

Lee DeGraw is a freelance writer with an inquiring mind.

We learn from the world around us. Its storied history lies within every street, building, and memorial. Every statue has a unique and interesting story to tell. But while the breakthroughs of our ancestors are inspiring, their mistakes are often difficult to confront.

It is rightly stated that these were men and women of their time, inhabiting a world with values that are utterly alien to most people alive today. To judge historical figures by the cultural orthodoxies of modern America is pure folly.

From the slave owners of the Ottoman Empire to the witch hunters of 18th-century Europe, history is full of monsters and morons. But only through understanding our shared heritage can we hope to produce a genuinely enlightened and tolerant society.

Mao’s Cultural Revolution shows us that erasure of the past, however ugly, is not the answer. The powers that be will always demand more: one more book burned, a final statue toppled.

But once the objects of hate are vaporized in their entirety, there is only one thing left to disappear: people. A healthy society does not build upon the ashes of what came before it but adds to what is already there.

10 Monuments More Controversial Than The Confederate Statues

10 Edward Colston
Britain

Edward Colston remains a sensitive subject in the English city of Bristol. To this day, much of the city’s landmarks are dedicated to the 17th-century merchant and slave trader. Numerous buildings bear his name, including Colston Hall and Colston Tower. Colston Avenue is home to a memorial statue that honors his philanthropic deeds. And local stores sell “Colston buns” to tourists.

From 1681 to 1691, Colston served as an official for the Royal African Company. According to estimates, the mercantile company’s fleet transported 84,000 African slaves, including thousands of children. Around 19,000 slaves died while in transit to the Americas.

Colston would later return to Bristol, his place of birth, and begin philanthropic work. He used some of the money made from slavery, moneylending, and sugar refining to fund the region’s almshouses, schools, and hospitals.

On June 7, 2020, an angry crowd tore down the statue due to Colston’s links to the slave trade. The statue, which had stood in the city center for over 120 years, was then rolled through the streets and thrown into Bristol Harbour. It took the council four days to retrieve the bronze figure from the seabed.^[1]

When questioned over the incident, Police Superintendent Andy Bennett offered the following words: “You might wonder why we didn’t intervene and why we just allowed people to put [the statue] in the docks. We made a very tactical decision that to stop people from doing that act may cause further disorder. And we decided the safest thing to do, in terms of our policing tactics, was to allow it to take place.”

9 Gandhi
Ghana

Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently removed a statue of Mohandas “Mahatma” Gandhi from the nation’s capital city, Accra. The statue, unveiled by the 13th president of India Pranab Mukherjee, was supposed to commemorate the renowned anti-colonialist’s peaceful approach to conflict.^[2]

Gandhi is considered to have played a pivotal role in ending the British colonial rule of India, mobilizing working-class laborers to protest discrimination. He instructed Indian citizens to boycott British goods and resign from British-run institutions.

Flash forward to 2018. Staff and students at the University of Ghana were opposed to the statue’s very existence. They argued that Gandhi had previously expressed racist opinions. The controversy surrounds Gandhi’s stint as a lawyer in South Africa during the early 1900s.

At the height of the British Empire, Gandhi fought for the civil rights of Indians in South Africa—but not Africans. His detractors also claim he used the racial epithet “kaffirs” to describe “uncivilized” black people. During his early prison years, Gandhi recommended segregation between Indians and black South Africans.

Following a successful #GandhiMustFall campaign, the statue was removed from the campus grounds and stored in a secure location. A year later, the statue was unveiled again at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence.

Ghana’s High Commissioner of India stated, “We are confident that relocation of the statue to a prestigious location in Ghana will bring an end to what was a misguided campaign about certain writings of Mahatma Gandhi.”

8 Chief Pontiac
United States

In 2018, a North Carolina dealership lost its most prized mascot. Harry’s on the Hill was once home to an unusual statue: a 7-meter (23 ft) Native American fighter. First erected in 1967, the fiberglass “muffler man” was modeled after the 18th-century warrior Chief Pontiac.

The chief served as an advertisement for GM’s Pontiac cars, which formerly used his likeness as a logo. Chief Pontiac encouraged tribes to attack British-occupied forts and settlements throughout the Midwest. The tribes, unhappy with new trading restrictions, attempted to drive the British from the area. A series of bloody battles ensued, eventually leading to a tentative cease-fire.

In May 2018, a Native American woman had an unfortunate run-in with one of the dealership’s employees. The woman, Sabrina Arch, attempted to buy an SUV but could not afford Harry’s prices. Arch’s attempts to negotiate with the salesperson ended in failure, so she took a two-hour drive to a different dealer.

After finding the right price, she took a photo of her new car and sent it to the previous sales representative at Harry’s. The response was unexpected. The salesperson, thinking he was texting a colleague, called the “cherokee lady on yukon” a “biatch.”^[3]

Arch accused Harry’s on the Hill of discrimination and demanded the removal of its Indian mascot. “By having the Indian mascot up as you enter this dealership can be misleading and needs to be taken down,” Arch wrote.

Harry’s complied. The salesperson was immediately fired, and within months, the statue was gone. But the story has a happy ending. A restoration company gave the chief a new lick of paint and moved him to a museum in Michigan.

7 Jefferson, Columbus, And More
United States

Since 2015, protestors have retroactively charged many American legends with racism, white supremacy, and genocide. What started out with the removal of Confederate monuments quickly turned into a purge of random historical figures.

A statue of President William McKinley, a former Union Army soldier, was removed in Arcata, California. In Chicago, a bust of Honest Abe was tarred, set on fire, and eventually removed. And a statue of Joan of Arc was tagged with the words: “tear it down.”

A group of students recently tore down a statue of Thomas Jefferson outside a school in Portland, Oregon. Jefferson, the nation’s third president and a key architect of the US Constitution, oversaw several plantations and owned over 600 slaves. Many protesters are also campaigning to change the school’s name to exclude all references to the Founding Father.

In Richmond, Virginians toppled a statue of Christopher Columbus and hurled it into a nearby lake. In a separate incident, a crowd lassoed a Columbus statue and pulled it down in front of the Minnesota State Capitol building. The angry mob proceeded to kick the inanimate object. Throughout June, authorities nationwide have removed nearly a dozen statues of the 15th-century explorer.^[4]

6 Evo Morales
Bolivia

Bolivia is currently undergoing a sort of mini revolution following the ousting of former president Evo Morales. First elected in 2005, the Movement for Socialism leader sought to reduce illiteracy, poverty, and an overreliance on US trade. Morales partially achieved these ambitions, initially leading to a surge in support.

But the former trade unionist’s popularity began to wane after he attempted to bypass the country’s three-term limit. His participation in a fourth election led to violent protests. Morales, accused of orchestrating a power grab, fled the country and went into exile.

Morales made the most of his 14-year stint in power. Statues were erected in his image, streets and buildings were renamed in his honor, and his face appeared on state-funded school computers, soccer shirts, and food products. Morales’s political opponents quickly moved to scrub his image from the public sphere.

In January 2020, the country’s interim sports minister, Milton Navarro, led a group of civilians to the Evo Morales sports stadium in Quillacollo. Armed with sledgehammers, city workers tore down a statue of the disgraced leader and cast it to the ground.

The authorities renamed the stadium the Quillacollo Olympic Sports Center. Navarro explained his actions to the press: “We want to go against the idolatry of Morales.”^[5]

10 Weird Things We Have Found Inside Statues

5 Comfort Women
Philippines

In 2017, the Filipina Comfort Women statue was unveiled along the Baywalk waterfront in the Philippine capital of Manila. The bronze statue, depicting a blindfolded woman clutching her gown, represents the Filipino women who were sexually abused during World War II.

During this period, the Japanese Imperial Army established a series of “comfort stations” designed to allow troops to sexually abuse the women of occupied territories. The stations were introduced in response to the mass murders and rapes witnessed during incidents like the Rape of Nanking.

The military hoped that a controlled environment would conceal the sexual violence of its troops and control the spread of venereal diseases. Around 1,000 young Filipino women were coerced or tricked into joining military brothels.

After decades of denial, the Japanese government officially recognized the atrocities in 1993. While the island nation has since offered financial reparations for its past war crimes, the issue remains a sensitive one for both Japan and its neighbors.

Upon learning of the statue, the Japanese embassy in Manila submitted a formal complaint and demanded to know who was responsible for its development. The Philippine government quickly reversed course.

The statue was removed during the dead of night, with city workers leaving behind a massive, rubble-strewn crater. Officials told the public that the statue was temporarily removed in preparation for a drainage project. In reality, the statue was simply handed back to its creator, Jonas Roces.

President Rodrigo Duterte defended the move, saying he did not wish to insult Japan. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada echoed his leader’s sentiments: “We should bury [the past] along with the bad things that occurred in the past.”^[6]

4 John A. Macdonald
Canada

In 1867, the passage of the British North America Act signaled the birth of modern Canada. Sir John A. Macdonald became Canada’s first prime minister, uniting the British colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. He was instrumental in the advancement of the Constitution of Canada and the nation’s economic and geographic expansion.

Around 150 years later, a statue of Macdonald was removed from Victoria City Hall in British Columbia. The decision was made after holding “Truth and Reconciliation” talks with the region’s indigenous tribes, including the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations.

According to the city mayor, Lisa Helps, the talks themselves proved problematic. “One of the things we heard very clearly from the Indigenous family members is that coming to city hall to do this work, and walking past John A. Macdonald every time, feels contradictory.”^[7]

So, at a cost of $30,000, the statue was dismantled and put into storage.

Macdonald’s government implemented the Indian Act, which sought to integrate the children of the First Nations into Canadian society. Over the course of a century, tens of thousands of indigenous youngsters were forced to attend Indian residential schools. Some viewed this process, in the words of former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as an attempt to “kill the Indian in the child.”

Stories of child abuse at the hands of the Catholic-run schools soon made the national news. To date, Canada has paid billions of dollars in reparations to those affected by the Indian Act.

3 Michael Jackson
Britain

Michael Jackson’s reputation has taken a hit as of late. In early 2019, HBO aired a four-hour documentary film, Leaving Neverland, in which the pop legend was accused of committing child abuse.

The film centers upon allegations made by James Safechuck and Wade Robson. The pair claimed that Jackson had molested them as children during several trips to the singer’s Neverland Ranch in California.

The documentary divided opinion. Jackson’s fans rallied around the late singer, which led to an uptick in sales of his music. The Michael Jackson estate sued HBO for $100 million and accused Safechuck and Robson of inventing a scurrilous tale to make money.

Meanwhile, many radio stations around the world banned the star’s music. Big companies like Louis Vuitton and Starbucks quickly distanced themselves from Jackson’s legacy. And several museums removed his displays.

In 2011, the eccentric billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed unveiled a statue of Michael Jackson in London. The resin sculpture was erected on the grounds of Al Fayed’s former soccer club, much to the bemusement of local sports fans. The landmark was removed in 2013 and eventually relocated to the National Football Museum in 2014.

But HBO’s controversial documentary prompted the museum to permanently remove the statue. Al Fayed offered a calm rebuke: “If some stupid fans don’t understand and appreciate such a gift this guy gave to the world, they can go to hell.”^[8]

2 Buddha
China

With President Xi Jinping at the reins of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China is slowly crippling freedom of religion. The one-party surveillance state has torn down Catholic churches, shuttled Uighur Muslims into “reeducation camps,” and forced Buddhists to pledge allegiance to the CCP.

Only a handful of religions are permitted in China, and each is kept on a tight leash. Xi’s goons are dispatched from the United Front Work Department to sow secular socialism, devotion to the CCP, and a resentment of Western values.

The Red Dragon has used a series of bizarre excuses to justify the removal, detonation, and concealment of thousands of Buddhist statues. A 24-meter (79 ft) Shakyamuni Buddha was removed in Hunchun City on the grounds of its “disrespectful” exposure to “wind and rain.”

A Guanyin statue, once a national tourist hot spot, was demolished on Xiaolei Mountain for allegedly blocking “the view for airplanes.” And the CCP instructed officials in Jilin City to detonate an impressive 29-meter (95 ft) Buddha, which had taken sculptors 11 years to carve into the mountainside.^[9]

The list goes on. Party members have destroyed Buddhist structures because they were too tall, too visible, or placed at nonreligious sites. Statues dedicated to the spiritual leader have been replaced with giant teapots and disguised as lotus flowers.

Over 500 golden Arhat statues in Dongyang were pulverized for having “no educational meaning.” Even paintings of Buddha are replaced with those of President Xi, Karl Marx, and Vladimir Lenin. As if Xi’s intentions were not clear enough, he told a religious conference in 2016 that his followers must serve as “unyielding Marxist atheists, consolidate their faith, and bear in mind the Party’s tenets.”

1 Everything
Iraq

Since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the sectarian divide in Iraq has continued to grow. Thousands of disenfranchised Sunni Muslims, in responding to perceived injustices at the hands of Iraq’s then-Shia prime minister, joined the ranks of ISIS.

By 2014, the terrorist group had taken over one-third of the country and expanded its operations in neighboring Syria. The group conquered and pillaged key cities, taking particular delight in destroying statues and great works of art. Jihadists ransacked the Mosul Museum, toppling statues with sledgehammers.

Nimrud, an archaeological dig site, was completely devastated. And the leaning Al-Hadba’ minaret (aka the hunchback) was demolished using explosive devices. The public library suffered a similar fate, resulting in the loss of thousands of precious manuscripts.

Elsewhere, a 9-ton winged bull—one of two sentinels guarding the Gates of Nineveh—was razed using a jackhammer. The proud beast had the head of a human, the wings of an eagle, and the torso of a bull. Its creators believed the statue would afford spiritual protection to the Assyrian king of Mesopotamia.

Throughout ISIS-controlled Iraq, such ancient treasures disappeared on an unimaginable scale.^[10]

ISIS justified the carnage using a range of religious, political, and historical arguments. Islamists claimed they were following in the footsteps of the prophet Muhammad, who destroyed statues to discourage idolatry. However, it turned out the group was using stolen artifacts to fund its military efforts, which belittled its already tenuous position.

Top 10 Controversial Statues Around The World

Statues immortalize important moments in history, represent a central belief or celebrate a major accomplishment. Statues have been around for a long time and many ancient statues still stand tall today, including the Moai of Easter Island, the Lamassu statues on the Gate of All Nations in Persepolis and the Leshan Giant Buddha in China. These historic statues each have their own unique story to tell, as do the more recently built ones on this list.

Related: 10 Statues That People Like To Touch In Inappropriate Places

10 Pegasus and Dragon

Thousands of horses have trotted through history, playing a pivotal role in transportation, city development, medical breakthroughs, and warfare. Up until the final battle of WWII, horses were used to pull heavy artillery, transport supplies, and carry brave soldiers onto the battlefield. During the Middle Ages they were trusty steeds to knights. Henry II would not have been able to travel the more than 400 miles to a battle, if not for horses. To this day, some farmers still use horses to work their land.

In 2011 founder of the Stronach Group, Frank Stronach, sketched a rough idea of what he envisioned a massive horse statue should look like. Five years later, his vision came to fruition in the form of the 100-foot-tall Pegasus and Dragon statue located on the northside of Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. The bronze statue is the largest horse sculpture in the world and was erected in honor of all the horses that made unforgettable contributions to human civilization. This stunning piece of art depicts Pegasus standing over a fallen dragon and took two years to build.

9 Cristo Rei

The British did not seek assistance from Portugal during WWII, which meant that Portugal could remain neutral for the duration of the war. The country remained neutral until 1944, when the US established a military base in Santa Maria.

In May 1959, the 360-foot Cristo Rei statue was inaugurated and has looked over the city of Lisbon ever since. The Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon had visited the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil many years before and this experience served as inspiration for the Portugal statue. It was expressly erected in gratitude because Portugal had been spared the horrors of the Second World War.

The arches of the monument, supporting the hand-sculpted statue of Christ, face each of the four cardinal directions and is illuminated at night.

8 Confucius of Mount Ni

Confucius is considered to be one of China’s most influential philosophers. He was the founder of Confucianism and believed that rulers needed to be at the forefront of ethical behavior and lead by example.

Traditionally it is believed that Confucius was born in a cave on Mount Ni, which is a hill 19 miles southeast of Qufu in Shandong Province, China. According to mythology it is here that Confucius’ mother abandoned him for some time, and he was looked after by a tiger and an eagle.

Mount Ni is also the location of a 236-foot brass statue of Confucius which was unveiled in 2018. It is the largest Confucius statue in the world, and it is hoped that the monument will help promote traditional Chinese culture.

7 The Motherland Calls

The Motherland Calls statue towers over the city of Volgograd in Russia. It is the tallest statue in Europe, the tallest statue of a woman in the world and the sword in her hand is also the largest in the world. The sculpture is a depiction of a courageous woman stretching her left arm before her while wielding the sword with the right. She symbolizes the call from the Motherland to never surrender in battle and keep defending the land until all enemies are vanquished.

The 279-foot statue was built in 1967 in commemoration of 25 years since the Battle of Stalingrad (today’s Volgograd). The battle was one of the bloodiest in human history and cost the lives of almost 2 million soldiers. Stalingrad was completely rebuilt after the war and there are mass graves scattered throughout modern-day Volgograd. Buried in the surrounding area of the statue is Vasily Zaytsev, a Soviet sniper, as well as Ivanovich Chuikov, Marshal of the Soviet Union.

6 African Renaissance Monument

In 2010 then president of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, unveiled Africa’s tallest statue: the African Renaissance Monument. The 160-foot bronze statue was meant to be a proud symbol of African liberation and to entice tourists to explore the country. It officially commemorates the 50th anniversary of Senegal’s independence from France. The sculpture depicts a strong man holding a small, nude child in one arm with the other wrapped around a scantily clad woman.

However, in a predominantly Muslim community, the concept of idolatry and the nudity displayed did not go over well. Add to that the fact that almost half of the country’s population lives below the poverty line and that $27 million was spent on the statue alone, understandable outrage ensued. As construction went on, it wasn’t uncommon to see heaps of rubbish at the base of the hill the statue now stands on. Unfinished homes dotted the area surrounding the monument.
Defending the monument, Wade revealed that he didn’t pay the full amount because he had made a deal with a North Korean state-owned construction company to build the statue in exchange for around 40 acres of prime Senegal real estate.

5 Garuda Wisnu Kencana

In 1990, Indonesian sculptor, Nyoman Nuarta was inspired to come up with the design of a statue depicting Hindu deity Vishnu astride the mythical bird, Garuda. Construction began in Bali in 1997 but setback after setback led to the project only being completed in 2018. The total cost came to around $100 million.
The copper and steel statue is very impressive, standing at 246-feet tall with Vishnu sporting a crown covered in gold-plated mosaics and weighing 3.5 tons. An architectural lighting solution was incorporated to enhance the finer details of the tallest statue in Indonesia.

The myth behind the inspiration of the statue’s design tells the story of the search of Amrita (the elixir of life). It is said that Garuda agreed to be Lord Vishnu’s mode of transport if in turn he could use the elixir to free his enslaved mother.

4 Sendai Daikannon

Sendai Daikannon is a mammoth of a statue that overlooks the city of Sendai in the Tohoku region of Japan. It was once the tallest statue in the world, but today ranks in 5th place. The 328-foot sculpture represents a goddess of mercy who holds a wishing gem in one hand and a water flask in the other.

At the entrance on the ground floor are 33 kannon statues that each represent the different forms that the kannon goddess can transform into. Across from these are more statues, but they depict demonic creatures that each represent a month in Chinese astrology.

Visitors can take an elevator to the top of the statue and walk back down using a stairwell. As they descent they will pass 108 Buddhist statues that represent emotions and desires. Should a visitor want to rid themselves of any negative emotion, they should find the appropriate statue, make a wish, and leave a donation.

3 The Kelpies

Kelpies are shapeshifting aquatic beings of Scottish legend. They are rumored to haunt waterways such as rivers and streams and appear to humans in the form of a horse or pony. They are evil however, causing humans and especially children who happen to get on their back to be permanently stuck to their hide. They then drag their unfortunate victims into the nearby water and proceed to eat them.

In 2013, two 100-foot-tall horse-head statues were unveiled between Falkirk and Grangemouth in Scotland. They were opened to the public in 2014 which was also the Lunar Year of the Horse. The sculptures, known as The Kelpies, are the biggest equine sculptures in the world and the tallest in Scotland. They form a gateway at the eastern entrance to the Forth and Clyde canal and are a monument to the horse-powered heritage of the country.

2 Peter the Great

In tribute to the Russian leader, Peter the Great, a massive 322-feet statue of the czar stands atop a tower of ships in Moscow. Unfortunately, it hasn’t won any prizes for design and many Moscow locals are of the opinion that it is one of the ugliest statues in the world and an eyesore for the city.

A rumor that doesn’t help matters much says that the statue, erected in 1997, wasn’t originally intended to honor Peter the Great but was instead created in homage to Christopher Columbus to commemorate the 500th anniversary of his first voyage. When a buyer couldn’t be found for the statue, some details were reworked so that it would represent the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy founded by Peter the Great.

Also, the czar wasn’t a fan of Moscow at all, to the extent that he moved the capital of Russia to Saint Petersburg. Because Moscow’s residents don’t seem to be warming up to his statue, it has been suggested that it should be moved to Saint Petersburg. The people of Saint Petersburg, however, does not seem to be very interested in sporting the huge monument within the borders of their city either.

1 Statue of Unity

The colossal Statue of Unity depicts Indian statesman Vallabhbhai Patel. He was the highly respected first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of India and is credited for forming the single Union of India. The statue stands in Gujarat, India and is the tallest statue in the world reaching 597 feet in height.

The statue can withstand strong winds of up to 180km per hour and earthquakes measuring up to 6.5 on the Richter scale. It was constructed in 33 months and inaugurated in 2018. Inside the legs are four lifts that can transport visitors to the top in 30 seconds, and much like the Statue of Liberty, this monument will turn green around 100 years from now. It is about 4 times taller than Lady Liberty, however.

There has also been controversy surrounding the project, since 185 families including farming families had to be relocated to make way for the huge statue. They were compensated with 475 hectares of new land, but this didn’t stop protests from erupting.