The 30ft (9m) figure of an ancient warrior sparked controversy and led to a council ban, but its owner decided to bring it back, saying locals need some “Christmas cheer”
A constroversial giant golden statue of a naked Roman gladiator dubbed ‘Golden Balls’ by locals has returned to a town three years after the local council banned it.
The 30ft (9m) figure of an ancient warrior was a familiar landmark in Wigan, where it stood outside an antique shop. But his naked anatomy sparked controversy.
And after being banned by the council, ‘Golden Balls’ vanished for three years. But the gleaming statue is now back as its owner decided locals need some “Christmas cheer”.
Grant Adamson, 60, said: “It’s just something different isn’t it, a bit of a landmark. There’s not another one of him.” The council said it was aware a “large statue” had been brought onto the site and was “assessing whether any consent is needed”.
The eye-grabbing naked Roman gladiator was used to advertise the 2000 blockbuster movie Gladiator starring Russell Crowe. But the nude figure met mixed reactions, prompting the council to issue its ban in 2022.
“It’s quite a sight when you come up the road, and it’s a great addition to have it back here at the forge,” Anne Fowler, 67, told the BBC. “It certainly puts a smile on my face, I don’t think you can help it not to – it’s quite a thing.”
Another resident said the statue’s nudity didn’t bother her. “It’s good to have artwork out and about on show,” she said. “It shouldn’t be hidden.” A man who can see the statue from his home said he thought it was “beautiful” and “made the place special”.
Mr Adamson admitted that some locals had gone on social media to question the statue’s appropriateness.
But if nudity was the concern, he suggested a solution – perhaps a “toga” or a “pair of underpants” could be fashioned for the gladiator. “If Santa Claus is watching, the gladiator would like a nice new pair of blue underpants for Christmas please,” he joked.
Mr Adamson told the BBC he expected the council might ask him to remove it again – but said he remained hopeful there could be a discussion, if they get in touch.
Golden Balls would be good for local business, he added, attracting customers to the area.
Gladiators didn’t actually fight naked, although warriors were often portrayed in the altogether in classical statues under the convention of ‘heroic nudity’.
Ancient warriors who went into battle nude included some Celtic tribes. More recently, the Liberian warlord General Butt Naked led his men without clothes in the belief it’d keep him safe from bullets.
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