While tourists to Brussels may ooh and aah over the Manneken-Pis, the 61 cm bronze sculpture of a naked child urinating into a fountain’s basin near the city’s historic Grand Place, not many may know that the figure has nearly 1,000 costumes, including that of a Parsi child. "He is the only statue in the world to have such a wardrobe and to be dressed for over 130 days a year,” notes a brochure of GardeRobe MannekenPis, a museum around the corner from the statue, where a part of the collection of costumes is on display.
A representative of Parsiana came upon an image of a Parsi child’s costume while browsing at an interactive display kiosk in the Brussels City Museum, also in the Grand Place. The information kiosk noted that the costume was donated by one M.P. Mehta in 1931. The City Museum houses what is believed to be a 1619-created Baroque interpretation of the theme of the urinating child.
Manneken-Pis as Indian Maharaja; Parsi child; right: Brussels City Museum
(Photos: Farrokh Jijina)
Another item from India, a costume of a Maharaja, was on display at the GardeRobe, but the Parsi costume was not. An assistant informed us that the Parsi costume is in safekeeping at the City Museum. An email sent to GardeRobe MannekenPis did not receive a response at the time of going to press.
Readers who are in the know of M. P. Mehta and his donation are welcome to write in to Parsiana at
info@parsiana.com.