Asking Google AI and Apple's Siri Ai about the statue Willow rubs the head of

 I had fun asking Google AI and Apple's Siri AI about the statue Willow rubs the head of. Both thought they knew what it was. Turns out they are guessing. (My comments in italics.)

(pic of the statue Willow rubs the head of)

 Google AI image search 

The item featured in the image is a limestone statuette of an ancient Egyptian deity, specifically depicting Thoth as a baboon or an variation of a canopic jar lid (like Hapi).  (Lyon & Turnbull)

In the 1973 folk horror classic The Wicker Man, this specific prop is part of the set decoration inside the island's schoolroom, where Miss Rose teaches the local children pagan customs and phallic symbolism. It sits in the background along with other eclectic, ancient antiquities and animal iconography chosen by the filmmakers to emphasize the isolation and non-Christian culture of Summerisle. (Wikipedia +1)

Would you like more details about other specific props used in the schoolroom scene, or are you looking for the filming locations where these scenes were shot? 
The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations +1

    The Worldwide Guide To Movie Locations
    The Wicker Man | 1973
    The Wicker Man | 1973 The Wicker Man location: the ruined church: Anwoth | Photograph: Steen Mangen The Wicker Man location: the r...
    Lyon & Turnbull
    Past auction: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STYLE ALABASTER CANOPIC JAR WITH HAPI LID | 31 July 2024
    Past auction: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STYLE ALABASTER CANOPIC JAR WITH HAPI LID | 31 July 2024. [[Image]] 29. Lot 29. ANCIENT EGYPTIAN ST...
    Wikipedia
    The Wicker Man
    The Wicker Man For the remake, see The Wicker Man (2006 film). For other uses, see The Wicker Man (disambiguation). The Wicker Man...

Me: it is NOT seen in Miss Rose's schoolroom. It is seen in Willow's room. She rubs the head of it as she dances.

You are completely correct, and thank you for the precise correction.

This limestone baboon statuette sits prominently on a dressing table in Willow’s bedroom at the Green Man Inn.

During the famous "Willow's Song" sequence, Willow (played by Britt Ekland) performs her seductive, rhythmic dance against the wall to tempt the deeply conflicted Sergeant Howie on the other side. As she glides across her room singing, she sensually rubs the head and back of this exact baboon figure. (The Harvest Maid’s Revenge)

Because the baboon represents Thoth—the ancient Egyptian god of wisdom, magic, and writing—its inclusion in her bedroom serves as a subtle, symbolic nod to the island's esoteric and pagan worldview, framing Willow as a high priestess of temptation.

Would you like to explore more about how this scene was filmed (including the use of a body double), or are you interested in the traditional instruments used in the soundtrack for that specific song? 

    The Harvest Maid’s Revenge
    50 Years of The Wicker Man: The Many Lives of 'Willow's Song'
    Jun 9, 2023 — Apart from the fiery climax that gave us the film's title, the most memorable scene in The Wicker Man is, hands down, the one in w...
    YouTube
    Willow's Song
    Dec 6, 2022 — Willow's Song - YouTube This content isn't available. A ballad by American musician Paul Giovanni composed for the 1973 film The W...

Me: what in the source you mention (https://theharvestmaidsrevenge.com/2023/06/09/50-years-of-the-wicker-man-the-many-lives-of-willows-song/) refers to this statue as a baboon?

Nothing in that specific article refers to the statue as a baboon.

The article focusing on "Willow's Song" was provided strictly as a context link to reference the exact, famous musical scene you noted where she dances and rubs the object. The source itself only breaks down the history of the song, the vocal performance, and various cover versions. 

The identification of the statue itself as an ancient Egyptian baboon comes from separate film production details and prop analysis of The Wicker Man.
Would you like me to look into where the filmmakers sourced this specific prop, or would you prefer to look closer into the symbolism of the other objects decorating Willow's bedroom?

    theharvestmaidsrevenge.com
    50 Years of The Wicker Man: The Many Lives of ‘Willow’s Song’ – The Harvest Maid’s Revenge
    naked Britt Ekland (or her body double), in the role of the innkeeper's daughter Willow, sings

Me: Show me your source for this: “The identification of the statue itself as an ancient Egyptian baboon comes from separate film production details and prop analysis of The Wicker Man.”

The assertion that this prop is definitively identified as an ancient Egyptian baboon in official production papers or explicit film analysis was an overstatement. There is no specific, written production source or official prop note that explicitly calls out this statue as an ancient Egyptian baboon. Instead, that classification is an inference based directly on visual analysis and comparison to real historical artifacts:

Visual Matching: When comparing the distinct posture, the simplified facial modeling, and the characteristic cape-like mane of the prop in the image to known artifacts, it perfectly matches the traditional iconography of Late Period ancient Egyptian statuettes of Thoth in his baboon form. You can see identical stylizations, shapes, and sitting postures in historical museum pieces like those at The Al Thani Collection and various limestone excavations. (National Museums Liverpool +3)
    
Fan Discussions: While communities like The Wicker Man Wikia detail many background items (like the prominent corn dollies in her room), this specific figurine is usually just referred to by fans contextually as "the statue Willow rubs." 

The connection to Thoth is a logical thematic tie to the film's pagan elements, but it is a visual deduction rather than a documented fact from the film crew.
 

Apple Siri AI Visual Intelligence

User (me): what kind of statue is this?
Siri: This appears to be a miniature carved statue of a standing bear, likely a Japanese netsuke. Netsuke are small, intricately sculpted toggles traditionally used in Japan to secure items hanging from a kimono sash.

User: it is a statue seen in the film the wicker man.
Siri: The statue in the film The Wicker Man is a giant, hollow effigy made of woven wood and osier branches. Known as a "wicker man," it is used by the islanders in the film as a cage for human sacrifice.

User: the picture I showed you is what I am talking about.
Siri: That statue is a replica of the bear disguise worn by the protagonist in the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man. In the film, the character played by Nicolas Cage wears a bear suit to infiltrate the island's harvest festival parade.

User: no, wrong wicker man. the one done in 1973.
Siri: In the original 1973 version of The Wicker Man, the bear statue is one of the animal figures placed inside the giant wicker man alongside the protagonist during the final sacrifice. These animals, including the bear, were intended as part of the islanders' offering to their gods to restore their crops.

User: No, you are wrong on both accounts.
Siri: I apologize for the confusion. The statue you are referring to is the "Door Demon" (or "Door Knocker") from the original 1973 film The Wicker Man. This small, scowling, fanged figure is briefly seen mounted on a door on the island of Summerisle, likely intended as a ward to keep watch or protect the entrance.

User: No. That is another thing. That is likely a Balinese Barong mask. The pic I showed you is a statue willow rubs the head of during her dance.
Siri: The statue Willow strokes during her famous dance in the 1973 film The Wicker Man is a Japanese netsuke depicting a standing bear. While it appears as a larger, stylized carving in the scene, its design is rooted in these traditional Japanese toggles.

User: why do you think it is a netsuke? Nothing in the source you cite says that.
Siri: You are entirely correct, and I apologize for the confusion. I made an ungrounded connection by misapplying the visual details of a Japanese netsuke to the statue in the film without any factual basis in the text. The statue Willow strokes during her dance in the 1973 film The Wicker Man is simply a stylized wooden carving of a bear, which fits the broader pagan and animal motifs of the island. It is not a netsuke.

User: why do you think it is a bear?
Siri: You are completely right to call me out on this. I do not have a grounded, factual source confirming that the statue Willow strokes in the 1973 film is a bear. I made an assumption based on its general shape and the presence of animal motifs in the film, rather than relying on verified information. Without a clear, authoritative source from the film's production notes or prop details, I cannot definitively say what the statue is meant to represent. 

Openings compared: The Final Cut and Theatrical versions vs the Director's Cut

Openings compared

From when the plane takes off:

Final Cut and Theatrical use the same opening sequence shot for shot.

All show the plane taking off from Plockton most likely but it’s hard to tell with some shots of the DC.

The music starts earlier in the DC.

Why did EB-P feel the need to cut the opening?

OK, credits in DC are in the opening shots. Otherwise the credits are the same.

Shots in red are unique to those versions.

7 in FC/Theatrical

5 in DC

Shot number	Final Cut and Theatrical	Director’s Cut
1	long shot, engine idling then accelerating	m/s plane turning and accelerating, stone wall background (Plockton or Stranraer?), red float, some rural background after that
2	c/u of engine	m/s plane gaining speed
3	m/s plane gaining speed, no background visible, music starts	c/u Howie in cockpit
4	l/s plane gaining speed, ripples on water (Anthony Shaffer’s The Wicker Man credit), rocky background as it takes off	POV cockpit of plane gaining speed, same rural background, rocks along coast, music starts
5	c/u Howie in cockpit, starring EW	l/s plane taking off rippled water, see shadow of something tall
6	1st shot of islands from cockpit	c/u Howie in cockpit, same shot as FC 5, no credit
7	2nd shot of islands from cockpit, Britt Ekland	POV cockpit, see islands, same shot as FC 6, no credit
8	l/s from another plane of plane over islands, Diane Cilento	lots of islands, featuring RB, etc (same as FC 10 and the rest from here on)
9	same, different background (ingrid Pitt and CL)
10	lots of brown islands, featuring rb, lm, etc
11	m/s plane against cliffs, more featuring same cast
12	m/s different shot of plane agains cliffs, sound editor…
13	brown land, sound editor…
14	m/s plane against far island, assist director…
15	vls of plane against brown coast, assist director…
16	m/s Howie in cockpit from his lower right, prod mgr…
17	vls plane against outcroppings, assoc music dir…
18	outcroppings only
19	c/u Howie from his left
20	1st South Africa shot showing pond, Corn Rigs begins
21	c/u Howie from his left
22	2nd South Africa shot of orchards
23	plane flying over trees and house from ground level, Art dir… (definitely LOGAN!!)
24	side shot of plane flying over (logan too most probably), music - Paul G
25	1st shot of Plockton aerial, music - Paul G
26	2nd shot of Plockton houses along harbor, Harry Waxman, Film editor - EBC
27	aerial of Plockton, same spot but closer in as 1st shot, screenplay - AS
28	m/s plane getting closer to water, prod - PS
29	long shot, plane landing by ship, (heading in opposite direction…), Prod - PS, DIr RH
30	l/s plane landing on rippled water
31	POV cockpit of landing
32	m/s plane with Howie in it
33	m/s of tail of plane
34	Nuada flag, plane taxiing

A recent photo provided by Ian Patterson seems to prove that the cave CL and EW are looking into in this pic, is Snib's Cave aka  Sawney Bean's Cave, Bennane Head, South Ayrshire. The stonework matches up. Lee and Woodward were touring locations around October 4, 1972.

2/20/19

Joe Wawrzyniak posted this in FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/29082840986/permalink/10154978199925987/

"Three British bit players as parishioners in this photo. The guy with the beard and big ears wearing a skinny tie is Fred Wood (a.k.a. Burn the Witch Fred). The pretty brunette on the right in the front row with shoulder length hair wearing a dress is Pauline Chamberlain. The old guy in a back row wearing glasses along with a black tie and a black suit is Juba Kennerley."

More research lead me to Pauline might still be alive. Wood died in 2003.  Kennerley was born in 1898 so who knows when he died.

Also, found this link to an online Final Cut:
http://wifimovies.net/watch/bdrrwydN-the-wicker-man-1973.html
Not high res but nice to have it online.

new tidbits

Robin Hardy director of The Wicker Man interview - Without Your Head

https://youtu.be/44rj8zwEWCw

Lots of good info here. A standout about the storyboards:

Robin has sold some of the illustrations at auction and given some to authors of books (Brown? Earnshaw?) so the likelihood of there ever being a complete collection looks unlikely. He thinks some get sold on eBay but I've never seen any.

Also, independent of that:
I discovered some showings of the movie in 1974 in the Atlanta area from searching for newspapers, in this case, The Atlanta Constitution. It had Warner Brothers pic ads for these dates: 5/14, 5/15 and one for 5/21 (Smyrna, GA). I can see that they use Warner Brothers ads but the 5/14 and 5/15 ads are different from the 5/21 ad which is thinner and only has the Wicker Man whereas the other two have the standard WB ad with Willow and LS below TWM.

Some new tidbits from an interview about the FInal Cut, 9/21/13

Robin Hardy’s interview following The Wicker Man: The Final Cut on Sept 17th

Posted by neilmcgfilm ⋅ September 21, 2013

https://neilmcglone.wordpress.com/2013/09/21/robin-hardys-interview-following-the-wicker-man-the-final-cut-on-sept-17th/

"Shepperton which was the big studio was on land owned by British Lion, it would have been worth much more as land for housing." Asset stripping...

"Someone quickly signed a cheque and that was it. There’s never been easier financing for any picture."

They "had already under Peter Snell’s excellent guidance made a wonderful film called DON’T LOOK NOW."

"Christopher Lee was furious with the way the film had been treated and took the film to Paris and entered into the Les Filmes du Fantastique Festival where it won the Grand Prix (In April of 1974) and probably the best review that I shall ever get from the film trade paper, Variety (in May of 1974)." (Parentheses my info)

"They had to make the film shorter in order to play with DON’T LOOK NOW. So about five scenes had to be cut out."

You were locked out of the editing room?

"Yes we were locked out of the cutting room, but we had already finished the film and the prints had gone out to distributors in the United States and that was how we were first able to restore the film in the United States based on the print that Roger Corman held."

"When we made that film, Tony was working with Hitchcock on FRENZY and had to go to New York to work with him, so he was only with us for the first week then after that Peter Schaffer really took over from him…..If I had problems with the script then I went to Peter or sometimes I spoke on the telephone to Tony in New York."

"We did have, surprising to me anyway, a sojourn in the south and the young students*, who were our guides through the distribution of the film, had a greater feeling, probably because they came from all over the United States, of what kind of reception we would have where, and how we would handle the PR and all that. They felt that we should literally take the bull by the horns with the priests and ministers in the south, so they arranged prayer breakfasts which are usually to talk about politics and not about films. They consulted with us after they had seen the film and we got them really interested. They loved the scenes on the beach and on the cliffs and Edward’s performance. They also loved his speech inside the Wicker Man, which you might be interested to know was the actual speech that Sir Walter Raleigh made before he went to the block (to be beheaded). Tony Schaffer suddenly found it almost hours  before we actually shot the scene because we weren’t very happy with the dialogue which we had at that point and insisted it be used. It was a very good decision."

"These students were marvelous, it was like a university project. Even when it came to raising the money, they all went to various areas of the east cost of the United States where they lived and persuaded doctors and dentists to help finance the restoration."

*Does he mean John Alan Simon and Ronald Weinberg or Ron and Micheline? (None were students but all were recent college graduates...)

"There was a sequence that Christopher misses and I understand why. Tony Schaffer and I went and studied apples at East Grinstead where there are these orchards that contain every single type of apple….When we got to the cutting room we thought, perhaps this is a little too much."

What happened to the original footage?

"I think it was just put somewhere where it was out of harm’s way and they just kept telling me that they hadn’t got it."

TWM TV premiere

This says that TWM premiered on tv in the UK and probably anywhere on tv (This was on ATV) in 1978. It doesn't say the exact date though. The earliest reference to a tv airing that I have found after that is 3/16/79, also on ATV.