Broken Statue Ideas

Repair It

• Fix the broken statue if it is very important to you or if the break is minor (or even significant but easily repaired). If the statue is made of a rare material or if the break is extensive or complex, you may need to enlist the help of an expert to repair it. Statues with historic importance may actually be damaged by the repair process, so before moving forward with repairs, contact a museum, where staff should be able to advise you on the wisest course of action or refer you to a professional restorer.

Replace Broken Section with Something Else

• Replace the piece of the statue that is broken with something else -- either a complementary or amusingly incongruous object -- if the piece of the statue that broke is missing or cannot be fixed. For example, if the head broke off your replica Greek statue, you could replace the head with a head of something else, like a taxidermy-preserved rabbit, a children's action figure, a glass fishing weight, or a head from another Greek-style statue. Such an approach to dealing with a broken statue is particularly appropriate for an artist or someone with a sense of humor.

Garden Showpiece

• Transform the broken statue into an evocative work of natural art by transporting it outside, placing it in a garden or area of untended lawn, and allowing moss, lichen or creeping vines to grow over it. The natural forces of sun, wind, rain and snow (depending upon the climate where you live) will weather the statue's surface while plants sprout and curl over every crack and curve. Broken statues with overgrown foliage evoke secret gardens and abandoned, formerly grand Roman villa gardens -- a perfect yard accent for someone whose decorative tastes run to the wild and mysterious.

Paint It

• Paint the part of the statue that broke if you wish to draw attention to its brokenness as an artistic statement. Alternately, paint the entire statue to give it a new lease on life and even distract viewers' eyes from the broken parts. For example, if your bust of Beethoven acquired a large chip out of its shoulder, paint the entire bust a different color to eliminate any eye-catching color difference between the bust and the chipped spot. Even if there is no color difference, a bright or dramatic color like gold, lacquered black or cherry red will take attention away from the broken part.