P164 - Finland - Toripolliisi in Oulu

Toripolliisi (Market Square policeman), the traditional Market hall, built in 1901, Oulu, Finland

Toripolliisi (The Bobby at the Market Place in English) is a bronze sculpture located at the Oulu Market Place in Finland. It was made by sculptor Kaarlo Mikkonen in 1987, and it is his only publicly displayed sculpture. The sculpture measures 220×150×112 centimeters (86,6×59×44 inches), and it was named in honor of the bobbies that once patrolled the market place. The sculpture was funded with the help of a public fund raising started in 1985, and it was revealed in September, 1987.

奧盧省是芬蘭的一個省，位於該國中部。面積57,000平方公里，2002年人口461,000人。首府奧盧。奧盧是芬兰第六大城市，位于波的尼亚湾的最北端。

十九世紀，奧盧曾經是世界上重要港口之一，原因當地柏油工業興盛，它的產品曾銷售全球。時至今日，奧盧仍是芬蘭西部科技重鎮﹔而它幾百年累積下來的古市集風情，連同河上泛舟釣魚樂趣，則成為吸引遊客的特色。

奧盧最著名的景点，是市集广场。广场前有个青铜警察。据说，当初oulu艺术馆馆长在一个画廊看到这个雕塑的原型画像，认为与广场的警察很想像，于是就集资将其雕塑成青铜像立于此地。现在这个胖警察，几乎成了oulu的代言人，你甚至可以在警察局办公室买到他的微缩版。还可以在市场的邮局发明信片，以获得有胖警察标记的邮戳。

References sources : Wikipedia , 芬兰旅游局