9:50 am today

Mark Zuckerberg reveals 'Roman' statue of wife

9:50 am today

By Ana Faguy for BBC News

Priscilla Chan and sculpture

Priscilla Chan poses alongside the new statue in her likeness. Photo: Instagram/ Mark Zuckerberg

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg turned heads on Wednesday when he posted an image of his wife, Priscilla Chan, standing next to a large silver and blue statue sculpted in her likeness.

The statue - which stands about 2.1m tall - was commissioned by the chief executive of Facebook's parent company in an effort to honour "the Roman tradition of making sculptures of your wife", Zuckerberg wrote on Instagram.

New York-based artist Daniel Arsham crafted the sculpture, which was placed under a tree in what appears to be a residential garden.

The figure's striking colour and towering size sent the internet buzzing with comparisons to the Avatar characters and jokes about Zuckerberg's identity as a so-called "wife guy".

In the photo, the real Chan is seen sipping from a mug in the same light blue colour of the statue. She commented on her husband's Instagram reveal of the artwork, saying, "The more of me the better?" along with a heart emoji.

A sculpted silver garment looks like it is draped over and flowing behind the teal woman.

According to the National Museums Liverpool, statues in ancient Rome were often made to honour deceased loved ones or "to refer to significant relatives and to make meaningful associations".

Zuckerberg and Chan have been married since 2012 and have three daughters.

This story was first published by the BBC.

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