Experienced sculptors of Nelson Mandela's bronze statue in Pretoria secretly placed a tiny bronze rabbit in the right ear of the late South African president as a signature of their work, but the government has ordered an immediate removal of the animal.
Two experienced sculptors were refrained from adding their signature to the giant bronze statue of the legendary South African leader Nelson Mandela, so they found another way to personalize their work. Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren secretly placed a tiny bronze rabbit, sitting on its haunches with one floppy ear, in the statue's right ear. The rabbit was about the half the height of the ear canal, and in a giant 9 meter (29.5 foot) tall bronze plated statue, unnoticeable.
The Department of Arts and Culture has ordered the removal of the bunny in order to "restore dignity back to the statue," said a department spokesman, BBC reports.
"At no stage was the department made aware of the sculptors' intention to place the object of a rabbit in the ear of the statue. Nor did the department receive any request from the artists to add such a signature to the work," Arts Minister Paul Mashatile, said in a statement.
Mashatile also noted that the sculptors apologized for any offense caused to the government or disrespect to the iconic statue. The government has decided to get rid of the rabbit and appointed Koketso Growth, a heritage development company, "to retain the integrity of the sculpture without causing any damage or disfigurement."
In an interview with Afrikaans-language Beeld Newspaper, Prinsloo said that the decision to place a rabbit was to represent the tight deadline in which they had to complete the work. Rabbit translates into Afrikaans as "haas," which also means haste.
"The time factor was big and at times we had to work hard," Prinsloo said.
The giant statue of the former president was unveiled by President Jacob Zuma on December 16, a day after his burial. The bronze statue stands in front of the Union Buildings, the government headquarters in the capital, Pretoria. The tribute to Mandela on December 16 also marks the annual celebrations of Reconciliation Day and the commemoration of the centenary of the Union Buildings, one of the most iconic structures in South Africa.
