Spanish glassblower Miguel Arribas spent around 500 hours making the world’s largest glass-blown sculpture, a whimsical castle fashioned after Cinderella’s castle, but it took a couple of children just a fraction of a second to ruin it.
Last weekend, the Shanghai Museum of Glass announced that Arribas’ Fantasy Castle exhibit had been broken into pieces after two children accidentally knocked it down while playing inside the museum. Presented as a gift to the museum in 2016 to mark its fifth anniversary, Miguel Arribas’ record-setting masterpiece was created using around 500,000 glass loops, weighed 60 kilograms and featured spires made with 24-karat gold. It was made up of approximately 30,000 individual parts and weighed over 60 kilograms. Its worth was estimated at around 450,000 yuan ($65,000).
Photo: CGTN/CFP
According to sources from the museum, the unfortunate accident occurred on May 30th, when two children visiting the facility with their family crossed the belt barrier while playing and toppled the sculpture. The fall caused the main spire to shatter and caused different degrees of damage to other sections.
The Shanghai Museum of Glass has already contacted Arribas about attempting to repair the sculpture, but due to the travel restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, they are currently unable to travel to China.
Photo: CGTN/CFP
The children’s parents have allegedly apologized for the incident and promised to take responsibility for the necessary repairs.
Miguel Arribas is the co-founder of Arribas Bros. glassware, which focuses on glass Disney-themed souvenirs and memorabilia.
Photo: Shanghai Glass Museum
