Hananuma Masakichi
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese sculpture artist. Believing that he was dying from tuberculosis
, Masakichi sculpted a life size statue of himself as a gift to the woman he loved, which was completed in 1885. The artist himself died 10 years later, in poverty aged 63. The statue was later purchased by Robert Ripley
in 1934, and was housed in his California
Odditorium until his death in 1949. After Ripley's death, the masterpiece toured various Odditoriums until it was stored in the Los Angeles
Odditorium where it was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The Masakichi statue today is almost unique in the world, as compared to the artist of whom it was based, it is nearly identical. Made of between 2000 and 5000 wooden strips (reports differ), it is connected only by dovetail joint
s, glue and wooden pegs. No joint is visible on the statue, and it is lacquered to show every detail of Masakichi, including muscle, bone and vein. The artist also manufactured anatomically correct glass eyeballs for the statue. Finally, individual holes were drilled in the statue to represent the pores of the skin, and the corresponding hair inserted.
The statue is currently awaiting restoration in Los Angleles Odditorium and a replica is in the London Odditorium, located at 1 Piccadilly Circus
.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, Masakichi sculpted a life size statue of himself as a gift to the woman he loved, which was completed in 1885. The artist himself died 10 years later, in poverty aged 63. The statue was later purchased by Robert Ripley
Robert Ripley
Robert LeRoy Ripley was an American cartoonist, entrepreneur and amateur anthropologist, who created the world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! newspaper panel series, radio show, and television show which feature odd 'facts' from around the world.Subjects covered in Ripley's cartoons and text...
in 1934, and was housed in his California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Odditorium until his death in 1949. After Ripley's death, the masterpiece toured various Odditoriums until it was stored in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Odditorium where it was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The Masakichi statue today is almost unique in the world, as compared to the artist of whom it was based, it is nearly identical. Made of between 2000 and 5000 wooden strips (reports differ), it is connected only by dovetail joint
Dovetail joint
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart , the dovetail joint is commonly used to join the sides of a drawer to the front....
s, glue and wooden pegs. No joint is visible on the statue, and it is lacquered to show every detail of Masakichi, including muscle, bone and vein. The artist also manufactured anatomically correct glass eyeballs for the statue. Finally, individual holes were drilled in the statue to represent the pores of the skin, and the corresponding hair inserted.
The statue is currently awaiting restoration in Los Angleles Odditorium and a replica is in the London Odditorium, located at 1 Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
.