La Bocca Della Verita at the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris

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This larger-than-life marble sculpture was crafted in the late 1800s by French artist Jules Blanchard (1832-1916), whose Italian title 'La Bocca Della Verita' translates to The Mouth of Truth. The sculpture draws inspiration from the Roman legend that one's hand cannot be removed from the mouth of truth if they have never lied. As a personified example, the sculpture is based on the original 'La Bocca della Verità', an image carved from Pavonazzo marble featuring a man-like face located in the portico of the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in Rome, Italy. The sculpture is believed to be part of a first-century ancient Roman fountain or possibly a manhole cover depicting one of several possible pagan gods, likely Oceanus. Most Romans believe that 'Bocca' represents the ancient god of the river Tiber. A distinctive characteristic of the Mouth is its role as a lie detector. Starting from the Middle Ages, it was believed that if someone told a lie with their hand in the mouth of the sculpture, it would be bitten off. There's also a medieval legend about an adulterous empress who managed to deceive her husband in a trial using the Mouth, though this is often wrongly attributed to Roman poet Virgil. This subject is relatively rare in medieval and Renaissance art, forming part of the Power of Women literary topos. The piece was placed in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin in the 17th century. This church is also home to the supposed relics of Saint Valentine. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from around the world for public access at no cost. Scan the World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items nearby that you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.