What did the Great Bronze Figure hold?
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Full-length views present the Great Bronze Standing Figure as a monumental composition, uniting its tall body, circular hand gestures and richly decorated pedestal. /CGTN
Full-length views present the Great Bronze Standing Figure as a monumental composition, uniting its tall body, circular hand gestures and richly decorated pedestal. /CGTN
Close and side views bring together the high crown, stylized face, patterned garments and differently positioned circular grips – the focus of debate over what the figure may once have held. /CGTN
Close and side views bring together the high crown, stylized face, patterned garments and differently positioned circular grips – the focus of debate over what the figure may once have held. /CGTN
A low-angle detail reveals the long robe, bare feet and layered ornamentation of the pedestal. /CGTN
Full-length views present the Great Bronze Standing Figure as a monumental composition, uniting its tall body, circular hand gestures and richly decorated pedestal. /CGTN
Full-length views present the Great Bronze Standing Figure as a monumental composition, uniting its tall body, circular hand gestures and richly decorated pedestal. /CGTN
At over 2.6 meters tall, the Great Bronze Standing Figure commands attention before a visitor even reaches its hands. Its crown, solemn face, layered garments and patterned base all signal exceptional status. Yet the most intriguing detail is the pair of ring-shaped grips held at different heights. Scholars have proposed that the missing object may have been ivory, jade, a staff or another ritual emblem; it is also possible that the pose itself carried meaning. Because no explanation is universally accepted, the open hands invite us to look closely at gesture as a language of authority, ceremony and identity in the ancient Shu world.
