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Regarded as ancient treasures, statues from the past occasionally house unexpected artifacts such as scrolls, handwritten letters, currency, and other historically significant objects.
These discoveries are frequently astonishing and serendipitous, as no one anticipates uncovering such items within statues. However, as we'll explore, many of these objects were intentionally concealed inside.
10. Two Letters Discovered Inside the Buttocks of a Jesus Statue
Several years ago, two letters were discovered concealed within the buttocks of a 240-year-old Jesus statue located in St. Agueda, Spain. A preservationist uncovered the letters, prompting the team to carefully remove a section of the sculpture to retrieve the hidden notes.
The letters, penned in 1777 by Joaquin Minguez, a clergyman at the Burgo de Osma cathedral in Spain, revealed that the statue was crafted by Manuel Bal, who also created similar sculptures for other cathedrals. Minguez noted a successful harvest of wheat, rye, oats, and barley that season, along with an abundance of wine stored for future use.
He also described how typhoid had affected their village, leading the residents to pass the time by playing ball and cards. Minguez mentioned that King Carlos III was ruling at the time, with his palace situated in Madrid. The church in possession of the statue had the letters duplicated, sending the originals to the Archbishop of Burgos for archiving and returning the copies to their original hiding place within the statue.
9. A Buddha Statue Contained the Skeleton of a Self-Mummified Monk
During the 1990s, a Buddha statue was found to house the actual skeleton of a monk. The monk had undergone self-mummification around the 10th century, and his remains were later transformed into a statue.
Self-mummification is a unique practice among Buddhists, involving a deliberate and gradual process where monks turn themselves into mummies as they approach death. This lengthy and challenging ritual starts three years prior to death, with monks adhering to a tree-eating diet consisting solely of nuts, roots, berries, and bark.
After 1,000 to 3,000 days, they enter a phase known as nyujo, where they cease eating entirely and consume only salted water while meditating until death. Near the end, they are buried alive, and their remains are later exhumed to determine if they have decayed or successfully mummified.
Such mummies are exceedingly rare, and finding one inside a statue is even more extraordinary. The Buddha statue mentioned earlier is the only known instance of a self-mummified body preserved within a statue.
Following his death, the monk's mummified remains were displayed in a temple for two centuries. However, as the body began to deteriorate, monks decided to encase it in a statue. The skeleton could not be physically examined due to fears of disintegration, but an X-ray confirmed it was in pristine condition.
8. Ancient Currency Discovered Within a Chinese Buddha Statue
In 2016, Australian art specialists uncovered an ancient banknote hidden inside the hollow head of a 645-year-old wooden Chinese Buddha statue. The banknote, roughly the size of a standard letter, was notably larger and more unusual compared to modern currency.
Inscriptions on the banknote revealed it was issued in 1371 during the rule of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty. The note was valued at one guan, which equated to 1,000 copper coins or 28 grams (1 oz) of silver at the time.
The banknote also urged citizens to report counterfeiters, warning that offenders would face beheading. This rare artifact is among the earliest examples of paper currency, a system that was nearly exclusive to China in 1371. Europe, by contrast, still relied on coins and only began transitioning to banknotes approximately 300 years later.
The discovery was entirely accidental. The statue was being prepared for auction when the banknote was uncovered. Surprisingly, neither of its two prior owners had noticed the hidden bill. The banknote was subsequently put up for auction.
7. A Jesus Statue Found to Contain Real Human Teeth
In 2014, during the restoration of a wooden Jesus statue in Mexico, real human teeth were found inside. Known as Christ of Patience, the statue portrays Jesus awaiting crucifixion, depicted as bloodied and seated in anticipation of his fate.
Experts are unsure how the 300-year-old statue came to possess real human teeth. Statues from that region of Mexico often incorporate real nails, teeth, and hair. For instance, a baby Jesus statue with rabbit teeth, a devil statue with dog teeth, and several others with human hair have been discovered.
A statue containing real human teeth was an unprecedented find. The teeth were in impeccable condition, adding an eerie element to the discovery. Since the statue's mouth was always closed, the teeth were nearly invisible. They were only detected when preservationists conducted an X-ray of the statue.
Experts believe the teeth might have been donated by a worshiper, either living or deceased, as an offering to the church. During the 17th and 18th centuries, Mexican Christians frequently donated body parts to religious institutions. Alternatively, the teeth could have been taken without consent from someone unwilling to donate them.
6. Cocaine
To avoid detection, drug smugglers have resorted to creative methods, such as concealing drugs inside statues. Some have even gone as far as crafting sculptures entirely from drugs.
In 2010, Colombian authorities intercepted a World Cup replica crafted from cocaine at Bogota airport, just before it was shipped to Spain. The statue, made with 11 kilograms (24 lb) of cocaine mixed with acetone or gasoline, was designed to be easily molded.
In the United States, a Jesus statue was confiscated while being transported from Mexico to Dallas, Texas. The sculpture held 3 kilograms (6 lb) of cocaine and other unidentified substances used for molding. The discovery was made by sniffer dogs.
5. Keys and Love Letters Discovered Inside a Juliet Statue
Several years ago in Verona, Italy, a bronze statue of Juliet—the iconic character from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet—was found to contain hundreds of keys and love letters. The items were uncovered during a restoration project around Valentine’s Day in 2015.
The statue, created in 1969, was placed in Verona as it is regarded as the hometown of the fictional Juliet. Over time, the sculpture deteriorated due to tourists rubbing its breasts and arms for good luck, leading to wear and eventual cracks.
Tourists began slipping love letters through the cracks into the hollow interior of the statue. Many keys were also found, as lovers often wrote their names on padlocks before discarding or hiding the keys. These items were only discovered when preservationists attempted to repair the cracks and create a replica of the statue.
4. Confederate Flags, Newspaper Clippings, and Currency Found Inside a Controversial Confederate Statue
For decades, a 363-kilogram (800 lb) statue of a Confederate soldier named Johnny Reb stood in Orlando, Florida. The statue sparked controversy and was criticized as a racist symbol of white supremacy, ultimately leading to its removal in 2017.
During the removal, a small metal box was found concealed at the statue's base. Inside, the box contained newspaper clippings, Confederate flags, and Confederate currency. The statue was relocated to a cemetery and placed near the graves of 37 Confederate soldiers.
3. A Golden Statue Discovered Within Another Statue
Phra Phuttha Maha Suwan Patimakon is a 2.7-meter-tall (9 ft) Buddha statue located in Bangkok, Thailand. Originally covered in stucco, it appeared to be a valueless artifact. Historians believe it was crafted in India between the 13th and 14th centuries.
The statue was brought to Bangkok in 1801 and displayed at Wat Chotanaram temple. In 1935, it was moved to Wat Traimit, but its massive size and seemingly worthless appearance led to it being left outdoors for years, protected only by a tin roof.
In 1955, the statue toppled while being moved to another temple in Bangkok. The fall caused the stucco coating to crack, exposing sections of the golden statue beneath. Workers then removed the remaining stucco, unveiling the 18-carat gold statue inside.
The golden statue was constructed in nine separate pieces, accompanied by a key for easy disassembly during transport. Historians speculate that the stucco was applied in the 17th century to conceal the statue from Burmese invaders. The strategy succeeded, as the invaders dismissed the statue as valueless.
2. Scrolls Discovered Within a Buddhist Statue
In May 2018, a 700-year-old, 76-centimeter-tall (30 in) Bodhisattva statue at Hokkeji Temple in Nara, Japan, was found to contain 180 items. The statue depicted Monju Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva of wisdom.
Monjus are typically portrayed as a human figure seated on a lion, holding a Buddhist text in one hand and a sword in the other. The lion symbolizes the taming of the mind, the book represents wisdom, and the sword signifies the cutting away of ignorance.
The 180 items discovered included scrolls, relics, and other unidentified artifacts. Thirty were located in the statue's head, while the remaining 150 were inside its body. The contents of the scrolls remain unconfirmed, as the discovery was made during a CT scan, and the statue has not been opened.
1. Letters, Newspaper Clippings, Photographs, and Autographs Found Inside a Statue
In 2014, a time capsule was found inside the golden lion statue atop Boston's Old State House. The capsule was discovered in the lion's head as the statue was being removed for restoration.
Interestingly, the time capsule wasn’t always overlooked. Its presence was documented in The Boston Globe in 1901. However, it faded into obscurity until a descendant of the statue’s sculptor uncovered a letter from the artist, which detailed the capsule’s existence and its contents.
The letter revealed that the capsule held newspaper clippings, photographs, and autographs, along with letters from Boston politicians and residents. City officials plan to create replicas of these items, add new artifacts, and place them back into the statue for future discovery in the 22nd century.
