The Lion of Venice: Italian or Chinese?

New chemical research suggests Venice’s famed winged lion might not be a lion at all, but an altered Chinese tomb guardian known as a “zhenmushou.”

The Lion of Venice, a bronze statue perched on a towering plinth in Piazza San Marco, has long been a symbol of the city and its patron saint, Saint Mark. 

The Lion of Venice is a bronze statue and a symbol of the city and its patron saint

Tourists flock to see the lion-griffin hybrid that stands proudly over the square, representing Venice’s power and its deep connection to the Christian faith. 

The statue is featured prominently on the city’s flag, in Venetian art, and as the model for the Golden Lion, the prestigious prize awarded at the Venice International Film Festival.

Thought to have been built between 1172 and 1177, the statue’s history is now being rediscovered.

Venice’s Winged Lion could originate from China

A groundbreaking chemical study, conducted by researchers at the University of Padua, reveals that the statue’s bronze likely originates from copper ore deposits in China, specifically from the lower Tangzi River. 

Unveiled at the “Marco Polo, the Book and Asia” conference, this research challenges previous theories that the statue originated in Eastern Anatolia, in what is now Turkey.

Historically, the Lion of Venice has been a symbol of power and courage, deeply tied to Venice’s republic and Saint Mark. 

However, the new findings point to a much more global history. It’s now believed that Nicolo and Maffeo Polo, father and uncle of the famous explorer Marco Polo, may have transported the sculpture from Beijing in the 13th century.

The lion, it turns out, may have started life as a zhenmushou, a fantastical creature from China’s Tang Dynasty that guarded tombs from evil spirits. 

The statue’s current lion-like features—such as its mane and paws—may have been sculpted or sanded down to better fit Western symbolism.

Researchers also believe the creature’s features—moustache, teeth, and horns—were altered to resemble a lion, a symbol tied closely to Saint Mark and Christian iconography.

The presence of large amounts of bronze in Venice in the 13th century, thanks to crusading, makes it difficult to determine whether the statue was purchased or taken by force.

The history of the Lion of Venice

The Lion of Venice, weighing roughly 3,000 kilograms, has long been a central figure in the city’s history and mythology.

Its power is immortalised in the inscription on the book under its paw, added in later centuries, which reads, “Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus” (“Peace to you, Mark, my evangelist”). 

According to legend, Saint Mark received these words from an angel while travelling through the Venetian lagoon during a storm in the 1st century AD.

Whether it is a lion or a zhenmushou, the statue remains a potent symbol of Venice’s rich history and its place within a global network of trade, culture, and conquest.

This new discovery not only broadens our understanding of the statue’s origins but also sheds light on the far-reaching influence of Chinese art during the Middle Ages.