Boston’s historic lion and unicorn statues will return to their perch of more than 100 years atop the Old State House Sunday, along with a brand new 2014 time capsule.
The statues, now freshly coated in gold and palladium, will be unveiled in the Boston Massacre Plaza behind the Old State House at 10 a.m. Sunday before they are hoisted up to the top of the 300-year-old landmark by a crane, said Bostonian Society spokeswoman Heather Leet in a statement.
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Brian LeMay, the society’s president, said the newly renovated statues are “truly dazzling.”
A new time capsule has been inserted into the lion statue, though this time in the base, where it will be easier to remove, Leet said. Inside are relics of the era, including an iPhone 5, a 2013 Boston Marathon medal, a photo of former mayor Thomas Menino, and letters from three Boston journalists, including one from The Boston Globe.
The Bostonian Society hopes the capsule will be opened in 100 years, Leet said.
The statues were originally removed from the Old State House in September for restoration, part of a larger project that also involved work on the wood and masonry on the building’s west façade and repairs to the east balcony, Leet said.
Kiera Blessing can be reached at kiera.blessing@globe.com.