August 23: The Little Mermaid

On this date in 1913 the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen was dedicated. Some things you might not know about Denmark's iconic statue:

1. The statue is 1.25 metres (4.1 ft) tall and weighs 175 kilograms (385 lb).
2. The sculptor was Edvard Eriksen, who was commissioned to produce it in in 1909 by Carl Jacobsen, son of the founder of Carlsberg.
3. The inspiration was a ballet of The Little Mermaid fairytale which Jacobsen saw at Copenhagen's Royal Theatre.
4. The statue was modelled by two women. The head was modelled on ballerina Ellen Price, but she refused to model nude for the rest of the statue, so the body is modelled on Eline Eriksen, Edvard's wife.
5. From May to October 2010, the statue was on display in Shanghai for Expo 2010, the first time it had been moved, apart from for repairs, since it was installed in 1913.
6. There are thirteen replicas on display elsewhere in the world. Places where you might find a Little Mermaid replica include Solvang, California; Kimballton, Iowa; Piatra Neamţ, Romania; Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid), Spain; and half-sized copies in Calgary, Canada and the International Peace Gardens in Salt Lake City.
7. The Little Mermaid is getting a sister. It has recently been announced that another replica is to be placed on the banks of the Han River in Seoul, South Korea as part of a cultural exchange.
8. It is often a target for vandals. It has been decapitated twice, slashed in the neck, had its arm cut off, blown off its base with explosives and had paint poured on it several times.
9. Less violent protests have seen it dressed in a Muslim head scarf and a burqa.
10. The sculpture is displayed on a rock by the waterside at the Langelinie promenade in Copenhagen, Denmark. The City council have considered moving it out into the harbour to deter vandals, but for now, there it stays.