The bronze statue of the zodiac is a stone carving, dressed in robes, with a realistic head and fine casting. The wrinkles and fluff on the animal's head are clear and realistic. The material for casting the animal head was refined copper from the Qing court at that time. Dark appearance, clean connotation, a hundred years of rust, a must. According to textual research, the bronze statues of the 12 zodiac animals were arranged on both sides of a pool in front of Haiyan Hall in Yuanmingyuan, and were called "hydraulic clocks" by people at that time.
As of June 5438+February 2020, seven bronze statues of animal heads lost in Yuanmingyuan have returned to the motherland in different ways. Among them, the bronze statues of pig head, horse head, bull head, monkey head, tiger head, rat head and rabbit head have all returned. In 2003 and 20 19, Mr. Stanley Ho purchased bronze statues of pig's head and horse's head respectively and returned them to China.
In addition, on April 26th, 20 13, the French Pino family announced that they would donate the bronze heads of mice and rabbits to China for free. On the other hand, on 20191kloc-0/3, Mr. Stanley Ho donated the bronze statue of Ma Shou to National Cultural Heritage Administration, making it return to Yuanmingyuan permanently and be collected. However, the whereabouts of five bronze statues of animal heads are still unknown. The loss of these bronze statues is a tragic legacy left by the destruction of Yuanmingyuan and a great loss of China's heritage.
There are several reasons why the bronze statue of the animal head in Yuanmingyuan is precious:
1. The copper used in these bronze statues is alloy copper specially refined for the court, containing precious metals, which is the same as that used in bronze cranes and other cultural relics displayed in the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing. This kind of copper is dark in color, clean in connotation, and still does not rust after being beaten by wind and rain, so it has high durability.
These bronze statues were elaborately made by court craftsmen who specially served the emperor. The caster is fine, the surface is carved with a chisel, and every detail is carefully polished, such as the nuances of animal fluff. The nose, eyes, ears and other important parts of the bronze statue, as well as the wrinkles on the nose and neck, all show extremely high fineness, showing the superb craftsmanship of craftsmen.
3. These bronze statues of animal heads were made by court craftsmen in China, and the designers were artists from Europe, such as Lang Shining. Therefore, these bronze statues not only combine the traditional aesthetic taste of China, but also the characteristics of western plastic arts, showing a unique artistic style.
These bronze statues represent the cultural heritage of the Chinese nation for thousands of years, and also symbolize the prosperity of China in that year. They bear rich historical and cultural connotations and have great historical and artistic value.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-bronze statue of the animal head of the 12 Zodiac in Yuanmingyuan