Replicas of the Statue of Liberty somewhat larger-than-life size cast metal statues of wild animals, at least one of which is embossed with the name of the foundry. These castings and the replica all appear to be made of similar material and to be of similar age. It is also probable that they are near contemporaries of the actual Statue of Liberty. A large modern replica stands in front of the New York City Center, a shopping center constructed in 1999 in Barra da Tijuca in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The Havan department store chain has replicas in many of their stores. The largest
Statue of Liberty Bartholdi greatly admired the United States Constitution, he chose to inscribe "JULY IV MDCCLXXVI" on the tablet, thus associating the date of the country's Declaration of Independence with the concept of liberty. Bartholdi interested his friend and mentor, architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, in the project. As chief engineer, Viollet-le-Duc designed a brick pier within the statue, to which the skin would be anchored. After consultations with the metalwork foundry Gaget, Gauthier & Co., Viollet-le-Duc chose the metal which would be used for the skin, copper sheets, and the method used to shape it, repoussé, in which the sheets were heated and