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 The 61 cm (24 inch) bronze statue of a naked boy urinating
into a fountain is one of the biggest attractions for visitors
to the Belgian capital and on Saturday a museum that celebrates
his extensive and diverse wardrobe will open near to the site.
The museum, called Garderobe MannekenPis after the French word
for 'wardrobe', will display 133 costumes from a 965-item
collection. They include a fireman, a coal miner, a bee-keeper,
Mickey Mouse, Santa Claus, Dracula and a Chinese dragon.
A giant mural depicting the Manneken Pis in a jacket and jeans
emblazons the side of the museum building.
Manneken Pis receives about 15 to 20 new costumes annually and
is dressed for 130 days of the year. But there are strict rules
about what he can wear - no political or religious garb, and
none for commercial purposes.
The new museum is split into seven sections: geography,
folklore, charity and citizens' associations, trades,
celebrities, sports and designers. Visitors will also be able to
dress up a Manneken Pis model.
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All the outfits on display are original except one - the replica of
a costume donated by French King Louis XV in 1747 as an apology
after his soldiers tried to steal the statue.
The origins of Manneken Pis are unclear. One story says a little boy
saved Brussels from burning down in the 13th century by urinating on
the blaze. Another says a rich man lost his son and found him
relieving himself on a street corner.
The original statue dates from 1619 and now sits in the City Museum.
Other statues have been stolen or vandalized. The current Manneken
Pis statue was put together from fragments found after an 1817 theft
by a reprieved French convict.
On Saturday, the Manneken Pis will receive a new costume based on a
mediaeval city pageant.
(Reporting by Waverly Colville; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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