Venice’s Iconic Winged Lion Statue Has a Mysterious Origin Story

One of the most iconic symbols of Venice is the winged lion sculpture that perches atop a column in the Piazza San Marco, or St. Mark’s Square. It’s even depicted on the flag of the Republic of Venice.

But while it is known as the Lion of Venice, the statue’s origin story appears to be far murkier than once believed. In a new paper published Thursday in the journal Antiquity, researchers lay out evidence that the bronze statue was made using copper ore from the Lower Yangzi River basin in China.

What’s more, the team argues that the winged lion’s distinctive design is comparable to sculptures from China’s Tang Dynasty, which ruled around 618–907 CE. Based on their analysis, they believe that the most famous symbol of Venetian power may have originated in the far east, likely arriving in the City of Bridges via the Silk Road.

“Venice is a city full of mysteries, but one has been solved: the ‘Lion’ of St. Mark is Chinese, and he walked the Silk Road,” Massimo Vidale, a co-author of the study and an archaeologist from the Università degli Studi di Padova, said in a statement.

Copper from the Yangzi River basin.

Interestingly, the Lion of Venice rarely appears in historical texts, and researchers still don’t know precisely where it came from, when it arrived in Venice, or where and when it was placed atop the column in the Piazza San Marco.

In a bid to tease out some of its origin tale, Vidale and his colleagues performed a lead isotope analysis—a technique used to identify where a metal came from. That was what led them to the copper ore in China’s Yangzi River basin.

In the past, scientists had theorized that the Lion of Venice was inspired by Mesopotamian and Persian lion-headed griffins, but in the new analysis, the team argues that it appears much more similar to Tang Dynasty tomb guardian sculptures, or zhènmùshòu (镇墓兽). Tomb guardians were often depicted as fierce-looking animal hybrids, sometimes with human-like features.

The Venetian statue also seems to have gone through a number of modifications over the years. It may have originally had horns, which would have made it appear even more similar to a zhènmùshòu.

A potential Silk Road journey

Ultimately, the researchers suggest the Venetian icon may have experienced a long journey and transformation to be where it is today: Niccolò and Maffeo Polo, famous explorer Marco Polo’s father and uncle, might have come across a Tang Dynasty tomb guardian while visiting the Mongol court in Khanbaliq (modern-day Beijing) and sent it back to Europe via the Silk Road. There, its horns may have been removed and ears shortened to make it seem more like a lion. The lion represents Saint Mark the Evangelist, Venice’s patron saint. Alternatively, there may have been other medieval trade connections between China and Europe that could have brought the statue to the city.

Ultimately, the study suggests that medieval Venice’s sphere of influence may have reached even further than previously believed—a power the city still holds till this day.