Venetian Lion Statue in Italy
Design Also Shows Similarities to "Zhenmoushou"
A theory has emerged that the bronze statue of the "winged lion," a symbol of Venice in northern Italy, may have actually originated in China.
Director Park Chanwook and cast members Lee Byunghun, Son Yejin, Park Heesoon, Lee Sungmin, and Yom Hyeran are posing at the photocall for the film No Other Choice in the competition section of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
Actor Amanda Seyfried poses at the photocall for the film "Anne Lee's Testimony," competing at the 82nd Venice Film Festival held in Venice, Italy, on September 1, 2025. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
According to the British daily The Guardian on September 4 (local time), researchers from the University of Padua in Italy revealed through a study to be published in the archaeological journal Antiquity that the copper used for the lion statue was mined in the Yangtze River basin in China. By analyzing lead isotopes, the researchers identified the geological origin of the copper ore used in the statue.
Kim Novak, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Golden Lion, is posing for photographers at the 82nd Venice Film Festival held in Venice, Italy. Photo by AP Yonhap News
In terms of design, the Venetian lion statue was also found to share many similarities with the "zhenmoushou," animal statues that guarded tombs during China's Tang Dynasty. The researchers suggested that the bronze statue was made in China and later transported to Venice, and that its form was modified in the process, such as by removing its horns and shortening its ears.
This appears to have been done to fit the iconic image of the "winged lion" symbolizing Saint Mark. After the relics of Saint Mark were moved from Alexandria, Egypt, to Venice around the 9th century, Saint Mark and the winged lion became the city's representative and spiritual symbols.
This research overturns previous theories that the Venetian lion statue originated from Mesopotamia, ancient Persia, or Greece. Co-author Massimo Vidale said, "Venice is a city full of mysteries, but one has been solved. Saint Mark's lion is from China, and it traveled along the Silk Road."
As for how the lion statue arrived, the researchers speculated that it may have been brought to Venice when the father and uncle of Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant and explorer, visited the court of Khanbaliq (present-day Beijing) in Mongolia. However, they emphasized that this is only a hypothesis, and that further research is up to historians.
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