HISTORY OF METAL SCULPTURES
ZODIAC FOUNTAIN
SHIKHAR BHARDWAJ | SEMESTER 4 | IICD
OLD SUMMER PALACE The Haiyantang (Chinese : H ǎ iyàntáng) was an area in the Xiyang Lou (Western style mansions) of the Old Summer Palace, which included the famous Zodiac Fountain - water clock fountain consisting of 12 bronze Chinese zodiac statues. Supposedly designed by Giuseppe Castiglione for the Qianlong Emperor, the statues would spout water to tell the time.
The Imperial Gardens at the Old Summer Palace were made up of three gardens: Garden of Perfect Brightness Garden of Eternal Spring Garden of Elegant Spring A striking clock fountain (clepsydra) was placed in front of the largest palace, the Haiyantang. The fountain had twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac that spouted water in turn every 2 hours, but all spouting water in concert at noon. Giuseppe Castiglione, S.J. was an Italian Jesuitbrother and a missionary in China, where he served as an artist at the imperial court of three emperors – the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emp erors. He painted in a style that is a fusion of European and Chinese traditions.
RAT, OX, TIGER, RABBIT, DRAGON, SNAKE, HORSE, GOAT, MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG, PIG