Statue

Hard-core Harry Potter fans who devoured the books, camped out for the movies and trekked through the theme park now have a new way to relive the boy wizard's adventures. PHOTOS: Making of Harry Potter studio tour Debuting Saturday, the Making of Harry Potter behind-the-scenes tour at theWarner Bros.studios in England will let wizards, mudbloods and muggles pull back the curtain on the movie-making secrets of the most successful film series of all time. Located 20 miles outside of London, the three-hour self-guided tour will take visitors past sets, props, costumes, models and special effects exhibits from the eight "Harry Potter" movies.

An Italian court has upheld an order for the seizure of a masterpiece of the J. Paul Getty Museum's antiquities collection, finding that the bronze statue of a victorious athlete was illegally exported from Italy before the museum purchased it for $4 million in 1976. The ruling Thursday by a regional magistrate in Pesaro will likely prolong the legal battle over the statue, a signature piece of the Getty's embattled antiquities collection whose return Italian authorities have sought for years.

The J. Paul Getty Museum's iconic statue of Aphrodite was quietly escorted back to Sicily by Italian police last week, ending a decades-long dispute over an object whose craftsmanship, importance and controversial origins have been likened to the Parthenon marbles in the British Museum. The 7-foot tall, 1,300-pound statue of limestone and marble was painstakingly taken off display at the Getty Villa and disassembled in December. Last week, it was locked in shipping crates with an Italian diplomatic seal and loaded aboard an Alitalia flight to Rome, where it arrived on Thursday.

An unflattering statue of Sarah Palin that doubles as a functioning stove -- yes, the cooking kind -- has found a home in Chicago. The work of public art, created by a Chicago artist named J. Taylor Wallace, will take up residence at the Bridgeport Art Center. "We're havin' a Tea Pear-ody" is a large-scale metallic rendering of Palin's head, with signature glasses, tight bun and mouth wide open as if shouting. Smoke from the stove emerges from the top of the head, according to reports.

The Statue of Liberty hosted a 125th anniversary celebration Friday and then decided to take off the rest of this year and part of the next. Being a hostess, of course, can be a lot of work, but in this case, it's a lot of work that's being done to the hostess that will keep her closed for about a year. Now the party is over, although the National Park Service emphasizes that Liberty Island will remain open during the $27.25-million renovation. About 3.5 million people visit Liberty Island in a year, but only about only 2,500 tickets a day have been available for the inside tour of Lady Liberty, which means about two-thirds of the visitors don't go inside.

An unflattering statue of Sarah Palin that doubles as a functioning stove -- yes, the cooking kind -- has found a home in Chicago. The work of public art, created by a Chicago artist named J. Taylor Wallace, will take up residence at the Bridgeport Art Center. "We're havin' a Tea Pear-ody" is a large-scale metallic rendering of Palin's head, with signature glasses, tight bun and mouth wide open as if shouting. Smoke from the stove emerges from the top of the head, according to reports.

The Statue of Liberty officially turns 125 on Oct. 28, when musical programs and special tours are planned to mark the event. The next day, the entire inside of the national monument will be closed for a $27.25 million renovation expected to last a year, the National Park Service announced Wednesday. The work won't affect the outside of the building on Liberty Island, however, which will remain open to visitors throughout the project. Upgrades will be made to the statue's pedestal and the "200-year-old fort base from which the statue rises," including new elevators and stairways, redone bathrooms and improved electrical and mechanical systems, the park service says.

The rain ended just in time, perhaps knowing it could never stop Chick Hearn in his days as a Lakers broadcaster, so why cause an issue at the unveiling of his bronze statue Tuesday outside Staples Center. The man who once called 3,338 consecutive Lakers games — getting there every time despite rain, snow or otherwise — is shown sitting at a table while wearing a headset, looking like he's midsentence while calling a game. A chair next to him remains open, allowing fans to take photographs in it. Hearn's widow, Marge, was the first to sit in the chair after the 45-minute ceremony in front of a crowd of about 500. She kissed her right hand and then placed it gently on the cheek of her husband's statue.

Mario Lemieux owns hockey in Pittsburgh -- and that's not just because he bought the Penguins more than a decade ago. The man who brought three Stanley Cups to the city -- two as a player and one as an owner -- has now been immortalized with a statue outside of Consol Energy Center, the home of the Penguins. The 10-foot-plus, 4,700-pound statue was unveiled Wednesday during a ceremony that included Lemieux, Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

Adam Smith, the father of modern economics, was honored Friday with a statue in Edinburgh, Scotland, the first major public monument to the 18th century philosopher. The statue is within sight of a monument to the philosopher David Hume, a contemporary and friend, and a few minutes' walk from Smith's grave.

NEW YORK — Federal agents have threatened to seize from Sotheby's a 10th century Cambodian sandstone statue, alleging the auction house planned to sell it despite warnings that looters had stolen the piece from its rightful place, adorning an ancient temple in the former Khmer kingdom. Court documents filed Wednesday in New York say the statue of an ancient warrior was torn from the Prasat Chen Temple in Koh Ker in northern Cambodia sometime in the 1960s or early 1970s, when the Asian nation was engulfed in civil unrest.

Federal agents have threatened to seize from Sotheby's a 10th-century Cambodian sandstone statue, alleging the auction house planned to sell it despite warnings that looters had stolen the piece from its rightful place, adorning an ancient temple in the former Khmer kingdom. Court documents filed Wednesday in New York say the Duryodhana statue -- listed as the "Defendant in rem" in the complaint -- was apparently torn from the Prasat Chen Temple in  Koh Ker in northern Cambodia sometime in the 1960s or early 1970s, when the Asian nation was engulfed in civil unrest.

Records show that Amy Winehouse left an estate worth $4.66 million after her death last year. The 27-year-old soul diva was found dead in bed on July 23 at her London home. Probate documents showed Wednesday that she left behind assets totaling more than $6.7 million, with $4.66 million remaining after debts and taxes. Since Winehouse did not leave a will, the money will go to her parents. Nothing goes to her ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, whom she divorced in 2009.

Mario Lemieux owns hockey in Pittsburgh -- and that's not just because he bought the Penguins more than a decade ago. The man who brought three Stanley Cups to the city -- two as a player and one as an owner -- has now been immortalized with a statue outside of Consol Energy Center, the home of the Penguins. The 10-foot-plus, 4,700-pound statue was unveiled Wednesday during a ceremony that included Lemieux, Penguins co-owner Ron Burkle, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

For a moment, it looked as though "Hugo"could sweep this year's Academy Awards. Martin Scorsese's 3-D family film snapped up five trophies in technical categories, including surprise wins for cinematography and visual effects. But as the more prestigious prizes were handed out later in the night, momentum shifted to the expected favorite,"The Artist,"which won for best picture, director and lead actor among its five awards. PHOTOS: Red carpet | Quotes | Show | Winners The only upset in the highest-profile categories came near the end of the show, when Meryl Streep won the lead actress statue for her portrayal of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," beating out Viola Davis for "The Help.

There is pomp and circumstance on one side and paranoia on the other. This is the UCLA-USC football rivalry — even away from the field. The Trojans and Bruins face off in their annual game Saturday night at the Coliseum. But the games relating to the game have already begun. USC and UCLA students are playing offense and defense, keeping a close eye on statues of Tommy Trojan and the Bruin Bear. This marks the 70th anniversary of the first hostilities. So, on a stormy Sunday afternoon . . . Three Trojan Knights, one in a suit and bow tie, dance in the rain to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," part of an hourly ritual that includes ringing the Victory Bell and bellowing a USC chant.

I do not agree with the Santa Monica City Council's decision to place a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Palisades Park. It would be more appropriate to have a statue of someone who has had an influence in Santa Monica. I urge the City Council to reconsider. NANCY JOHNSON Santa Monica

Police are investigating the theft of a 5-foot-tall bronze statue of Sacagawea and her baby, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, from Ft. Clatsop. Clatsop County Sheriff's Sgt. Kristen Hanthorn said the statue probably was stolen for its scrap metal value.

Ronald Reagan may have said that "government is the problem," but for a recently damaged statue of his likeness in Bonita Canyon Sports Park, it appears to be part of the solution. Newport Beach officials plan to repair the bronze statue and use public funds to provide for its ongoing security. Because the artwork was donated to the city, administrators are responsible for its maintenance, city spokeswoman Tara Finnigan said. Since someone pulled the life-size statue partially off its base earlier this month, some in the community have called for the donors or certain City Council members to pay for its repairs and to have the artwork moved to private property.

Police and politicians were scratching their heads Monday over why someone tried to topple a Ronald Reagan memorial bronze from its spot in a Newport Beach park. According to authorities, someone lassoed the statue and hitched it to a pickup early Sunday. The theft was foiled when the rope or chain slipped off as the pickup pulled away. A witness alerted the police. The statue, valued at about $50,000, was left leaning from its foundation. It was later removed from its base.