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The Lion of St. Mark's Square in Venice Is Chinese
The Famous Lion of St. Mark's Square in Venice is Chinese: Isotopic Analyses Confirm its Origins, Possibly Brought by Marco Polo's Family.
Through advanced metallurgical analysis, the team discovered that a significant portion of the bronze used in the lion came from the lower Yangtze River basin in southeastern China, and it was likely cast during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). For instance, the lion’s wide nostrils, upturned mustache, wide-open mouth with prominent canines, and truncated orbital sockets, where horns or antlers were once mounted, are all common features of zhenmushou statues. Credit: Jakub Hałun ( CC BY-SA 4.0)The circumstances of its arrival remain mysterious, with some speculating that the lion could have been brought to Venice by Marco Polo’s father, Nicolò, and his uncle, Maffeo, who visited the Mongol court in Beijing between 1264 and 1266.
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