The Lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice is Chinese: Isotopic Analyses Confirm It
24th October 2024
A new study has revealed that the iconic bronze-winged lion in St. Mark’s Square, Venice, may have originated in 8th-century China.
The discovery comes from a multidisciplinary team of experts in geology, chemistry, archaeology, and art history from the University of Padua, the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, and the International Association for Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (Ismeo). 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).
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Lead isotope analysis of the bronze alloy provided indisputable evidence of the Chinese origin of the materials used in the statue. The results were announced on September 11, 2024, during an international conference on Marco Polo, part of Venice’s celebrations marking the 700th anniversary of the famous merchant’s death. Scholars have long debated the lion’s origins, with previous theories suggesting it could have been made in Anatolia during the Hellenistic era. However, the new evidence points directly to China.