Analysis in Venice

Lion statue on St. Mark’s Square is “made in China”

(Bild: Wikipedia/Wolfgang Moroder (CC BY-SA 3.0))

A winged lion has been gazing across St. Mark's Square in Venice for hundreds of years. Researchers have now discovered that the bronze sculpture has come a long way before it became a symbol of the lagoon city. The metal comes from China. The lion was probably made there during the Tang Dynasty.

One of the mysteries of the city on the Adriatic may have been solved: Until recently, it was not known where the famous lion sculpture came from. Researchers from the Universities of Padua and Venice have now taken a closer look at the statue and discovered its distant origins.

A chemical analysis revealed that the statue was made of metal ore from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The style of the statue indicates that it was probably made during the Tang Dynasty (609 to 907 AD).

The lion statue thorns on a granite pillar on St. Mark's Square.

(Bild: APA/AFP )

Lion was probably a tomb guard figure
In earlier times, it was assumed that the statue had been created in Anatolia in pre-Christian times, as some of its features pointed to a Hellenistic origin. However, the researchers who examined the lion now recognized more similarities with a typical tomb guard figure from China from the Tang Dynasty.

Based on historical sources, it is assumed that the figure came to Venice in the 13th century. It was probably dismantled for the long journey and only reassembled at its destination. Since then, researchers believe that it has been reworked several times, further obscuring its origin. The wings were recast in the 19th century. 

(Bild: APA/AFP)

During the investigation, the isotope signature in the metal was analyzed, which acts as a chemical fingerprint. According to archaeologist Massimo Vidale, this allows clear conclusions to be drawn about the area of origin. 

Marco Polo's father could be the importer
However, one final mystery has not yet been solved: how the statue came to Venice remains a mystery. The Asian traveler Marco Polo could not have transported it there, as the statue was already in Venice when he returned from his travels. However, his father Niccolò and his uncle Maffeo would be possible, as they had traveled to China via the Silk Road between 1264 and 1266.