One of Sanxingdui’s most identifiable images, the statue, standing 2.6 meters tall, pedestal included, is also one of its biggest puzzles.
National Treasure 国宝
Grand Statue of Human Figure 铜大立人像
Bronze | The Late Shang Dynasty (1250 – 1100 BC) | Excavated from No.2 Sacrificial Pit of Sanxingdui in 1986 | Sanxingdui Museum Collection. 铜器｜商代晚期 （公元前1250年-前1100年）｜ 1986年三星堆二号祭祀坑出土 ｜三星堆博物馆藏
The Sanxingdui Grand Statue of Human Figure is a bronze sculpture from ancient China’s mysterious Ancient Shu Kingdom (circa 1800 BC), showcasing advanced metallurgy and representing a powerful ruler or shaman with a crown, layered robes, and dragon motifs, likely holding a ceremonial object like elephant tusks, symbolising supreme theocratic power and standing as a unique masterpiece of world bronze art.
The bronze statue basically uses a realistic method to shape according to the height, proportion and movement of the real person.1 The total height is 2.62 metres, of which the human statue is 1.72 metres high, the base is 0.9 metres high, and the weight is 180 kilograms. At the same time, it makes a big exaggeration of the eyes, ears and hands to strengthen the authority of the statue. It seems to represent an authoritative man with power over nature.
It’s a tall sculpture with its height reaching 2.65 meters. The figure is standing on a elephant-head base and is wearing a gorgeous dress and beautiful crown. But its face is of no big difference with other figures.
The square platform where the statue stands can be understood as an altar or a sacred mountain. At present, the academic community tends to believe that the identity of the statue is the most authoritative leader of the ancient Shu Kingdom of Sanxingdui, which integrates the identities of gods, witches and kings, and is the symbol of the supreme power of theocracy and kingship.
There are two theories about the identity of the mysterious statue. Some regard it as the statue of a high priest who commanded sacrificial activities while some think it is the statue of a king, the supreme ruler. It is certain that the statue was a sacrificial artefact used for blessing. No, it was not carrying a selfie stick. It was believed that the statue held the tusk of an Asian elephant in the activity of worship and sacrifice. The organic tusk has disintegrated over the long period of time.
The statue is the tallest known bronze human figure in the world from its time period. It is difficult to determine what the figure held in his hands. It could have been a scepter, or an item of ivory, or even a jade cong, a tube-like object. Experts have not yet reached a conclusion and it could remain a mystery forever.
All photos taken at Sanxingdui Museum Dec 2021, unless otherwise noted.
About Chinese Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- 銅大立人像
Grand Statue of Human Figure
铜像基本采用写实手法，按真人的高矮、比例、动作塑造，同时对眼、耳及双手作了较大的夸张，以此强化人像超凡的一面，似乎表现的是一个具有通天异禀、神威赫赫的大人物正在作法。人像站立的方台，可理解为作法的道场—神坛或神山。目前学界较倾向干认为，大立人像的身份是三星堆古蜀国集神、巫、王三者身份于一体的最具权威性的领袖人物，是神权与王权最高权力的象征。Museum information card, Dec 2021 ↩︎
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