There are many broken statues and sculptures around the world. Some of them are in pieces, while others are just cracked or chipped. No matter what their condition, these broken works of art are often still beautiful.
Some people believe that broken statues and sculptures represent the fragility of life. Others see them as a reminder of the impermanence of all things. Regardless of how you interpret them, these broken works of art are certainly intriguing. Let’s have a look of the most famous broken statues and sculptures from around the world.
1 Buddhas Of Bamiyan
The rock-cut Buddha sculptures in Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan had the largest size in the world before their destruction of the 6th-7th century. These two monumental sculptures, the Bamiyan Buddhas, have amazed people for over a thousand years. They were important to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. The Bamiyan Buddhas sculptures are a mystery, even to scholars and experts in their field. The world doesn’t know who commissioned the great ancient monuments, including the Buddhas of Bamiyan. The Buddhas in Bamiyan were an indication of the importance of Buddhism during this time period.
The first figure is significantly taller than the second, measuring 175 feet in height and located to the west side. It is most likely a representation of Buddha Vairochana, as art historian Susan Huntington had suggested. The Buddha Shakyamuni, the smaller of the two monumental statues and located to the east, was also huge. It stood 120 feet high in height.
The heads of both Buddha figures, as well as the feet of the larger Buddha, were carved in the round. This enables worshippers to walk around them and make their prayers. Circumambulation, or walking circling specifically around a Buddha statue or stupa, is part of Buddhism and it’s common in religious worship.
After an order from Mullah Omar on February 26, 2001, Taliban forces executed their promises to destroy the Buddhas of Bamiyan. The destruction was almost completed and in the end, all that was left were ruins and fragments. The Taliban’s decision to destroy the Buddha images in Afghanistan was motivated, in part, by the group’s brutal campaign against any number of faiths. Attacks against both religious and art objects increased during this violent period. There was also an intense need for humanitarian assistance in the region.
The fact that Bamiyan became a predominantly Muslim place in the 10th century largely discredits the claim by the Taliban that their destruction of the Buddha sculptures was an Islamic act. In 2001, the statues had remained largely intact.
Although the demolition of the Bamiyan Buddhas was a significant loss for our understanding of human history, light manages to find its way through even the darkest of times. Since the Buddhas’ destruction, many new discoveries have been made near their sites, including fragments from a 62-foot long reclining Buddha.
2 Aphrodite Of Melos
This statue is known as Aphrodite of Milos or also called Venus de Milos. It’s a giant statue of the goddess Aphrodite, one of the most famous ancient Greek statues ever. It was discovered on the Greek island of Milos and it dates back to the early 19th century. This Greek goddess (Aphrodite) was the goddess of beauty and love.
This statue depicts a female body with smooth contours, an energetic waistline and twisting torso. She is wearing a drapery tied in a knot at her waist, which creates an interesting play of light and shadow. Her face and expression are poised to show her flawless beauty. Her hair is tied and draped over her shoulder. This 2 m (6 ft 5 in) statue was made of fine Parian marble and both its arms have been broken off.
The statue’s creator is unknown. It was fundamentally believed that Praxiteles had created the sculpture, but scientists have found out it was created during the Hellenistic Era not Classical Time. It’s now thought to have been created sometime between 130 and 90 BC.
It is also believed that, when a French man finally arrived at the museum, the statue (Aphrodite of Melos) was on its way to Istanbul. He persuaded island leaders into accepting France’s offer and taking them back. The translator wasn’t too happy about this but thankfully, the statue was returned to the Museum of Louvre.
However, unfortunately during transport or an argument, the hands of the statue were cut off and were lost. It is believed that one hand was lifting a cloth and holding an apple in its other hand. In ancient Greece, apples were symbols of beauty. This statue is one of the most famous works of ancient Greek art, and it’s also a symbol for Milos island. The original statue is in the Louvre, but there’s a replica in the Archaeological Museum of Milos.
3 Broken Christ Of The Island Shrine
Some might think that broken things are worthless, but for this sculpture, it is a strong example or proof that even broken things can be beautiful and meaningful. This Broken Christ of The Island Shrine sculpture is one of the five biggest sculptures in Mexico. It was built in 2006 at the Presidente Calles Dam, in the municipality of San José de Gracia, Aguascalientes, Mexico by Miguel Romo.
“The Broken Christ” also known as El Cristo Roto stands 25 meter tall on the island of ‘La Isla del Santuario del Cristo Roto’. The statue has both its arm and one of its legs broken. It’s also missing the cross, and it has a head from the construction. This statue was built to represent the rough history of the village and its inhabitants who migrated after a major disaster due to flooding.
Though some may disregard it, heavenly voices have communicated to people throughout history. A father wanted to get the statue in his church repaired, but he heard a solid voice negating for the repair. The voice wanted the structure to be the same and broken, in order to give strength to people who have some injury or feeling of being broken. These feelings can also lead to a person feeling like they’re trapped and have no way out. That’s why the father did not restore it, and left it that way.
4 Broken Statues Of Buddha In A Forest Temple Wat U-Mong Chiang Mai
Wat Umong is also called a forest monastery. Wat Umong is known for monks visiting every day to pray and study. It also has beautifully shaded areas that offer the perfect place to meditate, relax and just spend time in nature. The place is most famous for a series of underground tunnels that were built hundreds of years ago to keep a wandering monk in one place.
Along the tunnels, healthy Buddha statues were positioned at every turn. There were people praying for them and colorful artwork decorating the ceiling. There is a large circle just outside that is filled with different Buddha statues and Hindu God statues lay in different stages of decay. Some are barely recognizable. Some statues were new and untouched, some headless, and some were missing only a little bit.
5 Broken Statues Of Terracotta Soldiers
Archaeologists have identified 600 pits in 22 square miles of area over the past 35 years. These pits are one of the only parts of this complex that has not been excavated, as archaeologists still lack some information about them. Some of the Terracotta Army pits are hard to access, but the three major pits where terracotta warriors have been found are inside the Museum (4 acres) of the Terracotta Army. The museum was built around these discoveries, and opened to the public in 1979. The first pit has long columns of warriors which have been reassembled from broken pieces, footing in formation.
The soldiers, with their top knots or caps, tunics or armored vests, goatees or close-cropped beards all exhibit an astonishing individuality. This individuality is evident in how they choose to style themselves. This museum has a second pit with a number of statues. This pit showcases how they were found such as some standing upright, buried to the shoulders in soil and others lying on their backs, alongside broken clay horses.
This site has been considered as one of the premier tourist attractions in China, along with The Great Wall and Beijing’s Forbidden City.
6 Broken Sculptures & Reliefs Of Angkor Wat
The characteristic features of ancient Khmer art contrasts with the art of India, and can be seen in their folk architecture. Wooden pile structures are built with a roof of straw or reed and supported by piles made of clay or stone. The fact remains that folk art, which found many interesting expressions in various forms of Khmer bas-reliefs and Angkorian architecture, gave rise to much of the great architecture at Angkor Thom.
This great city has five gates, one for each cardinal point, as well as a victory gate that leads to the area of the Royal Palace. Alongside these doors are four giant faces symbolizing the triumph of the city’s warriors. The roads were made of cobblestone, and there was a wide dyke in the middle. The gates at Angkor Thom were placed on the ends of these sandstone slabs and the balustrades are in the shape of snakes.
On both sides of the wall, there are stone sculptures of 54 powerful spirits that resemble stone warriors. The parapets resemble nine-headed snakes as well. It appears that these 54 spirits are trying to keep the nagas in check, stopping them from harming anyone else.
Here, the cyclical process of good and bad is illustrated. On one side, we find the demons and on the other side are the gods. The composition has a rather large scale, so there is no mistake in what each line represents: it only depicts half the story. Simply put, 54 gods on the right-hand balustrade of the northern passage correspond to 54 demons on the left hand balustrade of the southern passage.
Historically, many statues of the five giants (Also 54 powerful spirits statues) were lost and broken. However, some sculptures in front of the Victory Gate and at the southern and northern gates have managed to be restored. It may seem like the poses are repetitive when you look at them quickly, but if you take a closer look you’ll see their faces are actually very different.
7 Fallen Angel Sculpture Of Pisa
If we look closely at Igor Mitoraj’s sculpture style and analyze his sculptures, we can see that his work is missing a complete conflict. We know Arnold Gehlen’s opinion on the dynamic of man as being a lack of human being. Mitoraj`s human beings are not even full literally. For example, 3 of his sculptures- any torso from the gallery of Contini or the castle Warsaw, the sculpture Gambe Alate from Krakow where only the legs with a penis and the head centurion from Bamberg then it will turn out in the end.
Economical art has the same profile with another style. However, we can’t say that Mitorai doesn’t use the technique because he loves the classical tradition which emphasizes modeling of the torso.
However, Mitori loves a torso without limbs or a head without a torso. We’ve seen Mitoraj’s theme of disfigured beauty before and in Pisa as well. Almost the same thing, but it’s called Icarus there instead and there is self-citation, too.
With his broken head down and well-sculpted abs, the Fallen Angel Sculpture Of Pisa still looks flawless in spite of the fall. Even though his right wing is impacted, his left one looks like it’s unscathed. It’s buried in the green Bermuda grass and his lower body is also missing.
8 King Of Kings (Statue)
A statue of Jesus called King of Kings was once 62 feet tall, on the east side of Interstate 75 near Monroe, Ohio that belongs to the Solid Rock Church. It can help you learn more about Jesus and Christianity. The statue was at a 4000+ member Christian megachurch.
The statue was placed on the side of the outdoor amphitheater facing the church area, and it stood tall over the church’s baptismal pool. Fountains flanked the statue, and colored spotlights lit it up at nighttime. The statue was a portrait of Jesus from the chest up, with his hands raised and head tilted back so he was looking to the sky.
The statue had a 42-foot (13m) reach from its hands to the top of the cross. It weighed 16,000 pounds (7,000 kg) when completed. The statue was designed by Brad Coriell, sculpted by James Lynch, and assembled by Mark Mitten. The metal armature, upon which the entire statue is sculpted, was made in nearby Lebanon, Ohio. The sculpted parts of the statue were crafted in Jacksonville, Florida before being trucked north to their final destination here on campus. This statue was created by inserting a core of Styrofoam inside a thin skin made of fiberglass. The sculpted statue was created in September 2004 for a cost of about $250,000. Coriell donated some of his time to the project as well.
In 2010, the Statue was hit by lightning and ignited in a blaze. Other than its internal metal structure, all the statue’s other materials were destroyed.
In June 2012, construction of a new statue started to replace the old one. The 52-foot tall statue with a substantially different design was called Lux Mundi. Construction on the new statue was completed in September 2012 and it was officially dedicated on September 30, 2012.
9 Marble Statue Of A Member Of The Imperial Family
This statue and the other similar work, 2003.407.8 a, b are important additions to the small number of full-draped stone male figures that are represented as standing members of Julio-Claudian dynastic remembrance groups.
Statues of the emperor, as well as statues of his imperial family members, both living and deceased, can be found side by side in public areas like town squares, basilicas, or theaters.
10 Bust Of Ferdinand Marcos
This was a face statue of the former president of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos. Ferdinand Marcos was a former Filipino president who was hugely popular in his time. It was carved out of a mountain just outside Tuba City in Benguet Province. The bust of Ferdinand Marcos, which was 30 meters (98 ft.), was located along the Aspiras-Palispis Highway in Tuba, Benguet.
Construction on a bust commemorating Ferdinand Marcos began in 1978 near the town of Ilocos Norte near Marcos Highway. The Philippine Tourism Authority commissioned the project and planned for it to be the centerpiece of the 300-acres (730-hectares), Marcos Park. The bust would serve as a fountain, and be accompanied by a sports club, golf course, hotel and convention center.
The bust was positioned highest up on Mt. Shontoug because it could be seen for 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) away from the monument by people who were in Baguio. Anselmo B. Dayag, the sculptor who created The Eagle of the North and The Lion’s Head was chosen to design the bust. Unfortunately, he died before it could be completed. His unfinished work was later taken up by another engineer. Scaffolding covered in plywood was reportedly set up to deliberately block the bust from view during construction. Typhoon winds later blew the scaffolding away, exposing the finished sculpture.
The sculpture became controversial over the time. The monument was built at the expense of the Ibaloi Tribe who lived in the area. Promises of adequate compensation failed to materialize and the tribe, who lived in a sparsely populated area, was allegedly displaced. The tribal members were supposedly forced to sell their land at very lower prices.
This bust was dynamited at dawn, December 29, 2002. It was suspected that treasure hunters were looking for the rumored Yamashita Treasure because it contained clues to its location. The police believe that a white Toyota FX van, which was in the area prior to the attack, may be the vehicle which carried out the accident.