Chinese bronze zodiac

The Chinese bronze zodiacs were a set of 12 bronze figurehead sculptures that were looted from the Old Summer Palace by British and French expeditionary forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.

History

The 12 bronze figureheads were part of a water clock fountain at Hall of the Calm Sea situated in the Garden of Eternal Spring



The 12 bronze figureheads represented the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac with the main bodies carved out of stone and heads cast from bronze. They were designed by the European missionaries serving the Qing Court at the time, and were made by court artisans.

Current status

The recovery of the 12 figureheads have become a national priority in recent years. The current status are as follows:





The Chinese collection are being housed at the Poly Art Museum, Beijing. The Rabbit and Rat are part of a private European collection housed in France.