What's the story behind the sculpture that inspired Michelle Dee's gown?
Michelle Dee is a total stunner in the gold gown she wore for the Mega Ball.
The Miss Universe Philippines queen donned a gown inspired by the solid gold sculpture, Golden Tara of Agusan — so what does this mean?
According to the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, the Golden Tara of Agusan was accidentally found in the mud of the Wawa River after a storm and flood in 1917. It is a figure of a seated female, wearing various ornamentation.
The identity of the solid gold figure is yet to be finalized, but scholars suggest that she could be a goddess or a symbol of Buddhism.
The figure is currently in the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
Michelle is set to represent the Philippines in the international Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador, Central America.
—JCB, GMA Integrated News