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How Marco Polo's Family Could Have Brought the Lion of Venice to Italy
Italian researchers traced the winged lion's copper ore to China's Yangtze River basin, revealing historical trade links involving merchants and possibly Marco Polo's father.
- Researchers published a study on September 4, 2025, revealing Venice's winged lion bronze statue was made in China during the Tang Dynasty and now stands atop a column in Piazza San Marco.
- The sculpture likely reached Venice in the 1260s or shortly after, possibly brought by Venetian merchants Niccolò and Maffeo Polo who visited Kublai Khan's Mongol court around 1265, though its exact arrival and modification dates remain unknown.
- Italian researchers analyzed nine metal samples from the statue in 1990 using mass spectrometry, tracing the bronze's lead isotope composition to copper ore mined in China's Lower Yangtze River basin and noting stylistic similarities to Chinese Tang tomb guardian sculptures called zhenmushou.
- The sole historical record referencing the statue dates back to 1293, by which time it was already damaged, while the violet granite column is believed to have been brought to Venice just prior to 1261, possibly taken during the sack of Constantinople.
- Napoleon Bonaparte moved the statue to Paris after defeating Venice in 1797, but it returned in 1815, and the findings suggest Venice’s symbol involved intercontinental trade and cultural exchange during the 13th century.
49 Articles
49 Articles
Is the winged lion of Venice that sits on St. Mark's Square any recovery coming from China? This is the hypothesis of a team of Italian researchers in a study published on Thursday in the prestigious journal Antiquity.
Winged mystery: Was the iconic Lion of Venice sculpture made in China?
The historic Lion of Venice has overlooked the city’s Piazza for more than seven centuries. But a new study suggests the winged lion representing Venice may have actually been crafted in China. Researchers believe the sculpture’s journey could have involved Marco Polo’s father and the court of Mongol ruler Kublai Khan
According to Italian researchers, the lead component of the statue would come from China and its style has similarities with the sculptures of the Tang dynasty.
According to a team of Italian researchers, the winged lion statue on St. Mark's Square would have been melted into metal extracted in China and reassembled in the city of the Doges The winged lion of
The bronze sculpture, which sees several million visitors parade each year, could be a work of the Tang dynasty after Italian researchers.
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