The Self-Portrait of Hananuma Masakichi

When the renowned Japanese sculptor Hananuma Masakichi learned that he was dying of tuberculosis, he vowed to leave behind a life-like portrait of himself for his beloved. He carved his likeness out of wood while studying himself with an adjustable mirror. The hair, fingernails, teeth, and toenails of the sculpture were all pulled from his own body. From the caption to the above postcard:
The statue is composed of over 2000 seperate pieces being hollow with the exception of the feet. The head, thighs, calves, and every member of the anatomy was carved separately and the whole put together. The joints were perfectly made, dovetailed, and glued together — no metal nails, only wooden pegs or pins beings used to fasten where necessary. After putting all the members together and finishing as for as the woodwork was concerned, he painted and lacquered the statue to give it the flesh and blood appareance; The hairs which adorn the figure belong to himself. He used clippings of his head and ears and each and every hair is bored for and put in one by one. The body hairs were actually pulled from his own body and put in exectly the same position as they occupied on himself. The eyes were also made by the artist and are the wonder of the oculist and optical precision.
According to one source, Hananuma eventually regained his health but lost his lover.
Robert Ripley purchased the statue and reportedly considered it his most prized possession. He kept it in a special curtained area of his bedroom.
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