After 12 years, damaged statue restored to view

A 15th-century statue that broke into pieces when it fell from its pedestal at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is going back on display after a 12-year repair job.

The life-sized marble sculpture of Adam by Venetian sculptor Tullio Lombardo goes on view Tuesday. It's the first installation in the new Venetian Sculpture Gallery at the museum.

In October 2002, the statue toppled when one side of its pedestal gave way. It broke into 28 large pieces and numerous small fragments, with most of the damage on the arms, lower legs, and a decorative tree trunk.
 

Museum staff and materials scientists collaborated to find the best fix. The museum said that collaboration led to a new model in the conservation of large sculptures.