Stockholm, Sweden is covered in statues and sculptures. Some are big and some are small. But some are even smaller than small - they are tiny and thus very difficult to find. This will be an overview of the miniature statues I've found.
Karlsson on the roof
You can find this sculpture on Fjällgatan, which is a popular area to go to if you visit the Södermalm area because they view over Stockholm from Fjällgatan is very nice. This statue was the hardest to find information of. I tried to Google, but nothing was found. You can see that he's playing a VR game so I thought he was a tribute to all the famous game companies with offices on Södermalm.
But after researching another mini statue where I stalked the artists on his Instagram I realized Kolodko Mihály had created him. And the character is no one else than the famous Astrid Lindgren character Karlsson on the roof. If you look closely on the statue's back you can see he has a little propeller which real Karlsson is using to fly around.
Alfred Nobel
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish scientist most famous for his Nobel Prize which is awarded once a year to top scientists from around the world. The artist behind this statue is the same as the Karlsson on the roof: Kolodko Mihály. You can find the statue on the wall of the Hungarian embassy facing the Nobel Park on Östermalm.
Small Lion
Swedes have for a long time used lions as a symbol for power, strength, and courage. Lion statues are easy to find in Stockholm, especially around the Royal Castle. But this lion is the smallest of them all. The name of the sculpture is Litet Lejon, which translates to "Small Lion," and the artist behind it is Monika Masser. You can find the statue looking for its next prey at Kungsholmstorg, Kungsholmen. I haven't found any information why the lion is so small!
Iron boy
He's called Järnpojke in Swedish which translates to Iron Boy. You can find him in a back yard close to the Royal Castle in Gamla Stan. Of all the tiny statues covered here, Iron Boy by Liss Eriksson is the most famous. Tourists are crowding around him, taking photos while leaving candy and coins. Apparently rubbing his head and leaving him a gift is supposed to bring good luck to you. The locals around him dress him up in hats during winter so he's not cold and umbrellas in the summer so he's not getting too warm. I took his photos in October and you can see he already got a warm hat.
Limpan Lindström
Limpan Lindström was a famous teacher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts school of sculpture which was located in the area in the 1930s. The artist behind the sculpture is Göran Strååt, and you can find it on Sergelgatan in central Stockholm.
Cannon ball
In a corner of Stortorget, Gamla Stan you can see a cannon ball stuck in a house. I remember walking around Gamla Stan as a schoolchild with a tour guide who claimed this is an actual cannon ball fired in 1521 when a Swedish army tried to liberate the capital Stockholm from the occupying Danish army. The truth is that the cannon ball is from 1795 and was added a symbol to remember the Swedish siege of our own capital.
Two hands
This is an unofficial sculpture so the artists and the name are unknown. You can find them on Hornsgatan 4 very close to Slussen.
Lizard
This is another unofficial sculpture, most likely by the same artist as Two hands. You can find it slithering on the wall at Hornsgatan 22.
Hand with coin
Yet another miniature statue by the same artist as Two hands and Lizard. This is a little hand with a coin in it. You can find it at the stairs leading up from Hornsgatan to Hornsgatspuckeln.
Hands behind bars
This is the last sculpture by the same artists as Lizard, Two hands, etc. The same person also made a rat, but it was stolen. You can find it close to Hand with coin.
Stolen miniature statues
These miniatures are so small and thus easy to steal. Here are the stolen miniature statues I've found.
Midgard Serpent 2
The Midgard serpent is a snake from Norse mythology. The Swedish name of the statue is Midgårdsormen 2. Why the 2? Because Midgårdsormen (1) was also stolen, so this statue has got the nick name "Stockholm's most stolen sculpture." I found an article behind paywall saying it had been found, but when I walked by to photograph it I couldn't find it. Here are some pictures found on Internet.
 |
| Photo: Stockholms stad |
 |
| Photo: Mikael Nylander |
Rat
You could for some time see rat when you walked up the wooden stairs from Hornsgatan to Hornsgatspuckeln. But it was stolen. A newspaper wrote an article in 2016 asking where it went, but nothing has since been heard, so it has been missing for a while. This is an unofficial sculpture by the same artist as Two hands, Lizard, etc (see above).
 |
| Photo: MjauMjauMjauMjau |
The end
Thanks for reading and I hope you find them all. If you know of any other tiny statues in the Stockholm are, please leave a comment!
Comments
Post a Comment