
Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads
Ai Weiwei's *Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads* is a monumental series of twelve bronze sculptures reimagining the animal heads that once adorned the famous fountain clock of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, destroyed by French and British forces in 1860. The works blend Eastern and Western artistic traditions, referencing both Chinese zodiac symbolism and Baroque European design while raising questions about cultural heritage, colonial looting, and the politics of ownership. Cast in gleaming bronze, the oversized heads command a powerful presence that transforms historical loss into a provocative meditation on memory and national identity.
- Medium
- bronze
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
🔨 Auction Lot
Contemporary Art Evening Sale
June 29, 2015
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