The Mysterious Origin of the St. Mark's Square Lion!
Above: The Lion in St. Mark's Square
Post Author - Ellis Nolan
Keeping a watchful eye over what Napoleon knew as “the drawing room of Europe,” the winged lion of St. Mark’s Square in Venice, Italy, is a majestic sight. The origin of this iconic statue has been cloaked in mystery, but in September of 2024, a group of chemists, archaeologists, geologists and art historians shed more light on this sculpture’s story.
Last year saw an international conference in Venice devoted to the famed merchant Marco Polo, as 2024 marked the 700th anniversary of his passing. As part of the conference, a group of researchers announced some incredible findings: the St. Mark’s Square Lion statue originated from 8th-century China.
The lion statue is primarily made of bronze and upon further metallurgical analysis of the material, the researchers hypothesized that it came from around the Yangtze River in southern China. This thought was then confirmed when the scientists analyzed the lead isotopes in the bronze alloy. The isotope analysis, they argue, provides indisputable evidence for the sculpture's Chinese origin since they match the isotopes from mines near the Yangtze River.
Not only does the material in the sculpture point towards an Eastern origin but there are multiple characteristics of the winged lion that are similar to other sculptures of the time originating in China. Numerous examples of similar winged lions can be found around tombs to ward off evil spirits—in fact, the shape of the lion’s face, mustache, and teeth are very similar to those seen near Tang Dynasty tombs. However, scholars note that the St. Mark’s Lion appears to have been modified to more closely resemble an actual lion.
The lion sculpture likely traveled along the Silk Road from China, potentially even carried by Polo’s father and teacher of the mercantile trade, Nicolò. It is an astounding example of how global cultures influence one another, even quite far back in history.
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