Why is the faucet in Taiwan Province Province?

Emperor Qianlong ordered foreign missionaries to design and build the 12 animal head time fountain, which has a precise water pipe design and can spray water to tell the time. (Figure/Network)

12 The Faust Fountain was destroyed by the British and French allied forces. After some restoration work, several major animal heads fled overseas. (Figure/Network)

When Qianlong began to associate with missionaries from the west, he was very interested after seeing some pictures of western gardens, and ordered missionaries Lang Shining, Michelle benoit and others to imitate them, so a few European-style gardens and buildings appeared, including western-style pools, fountains and other landscaping. According to the western architectural design, the pool fountain will be decorated with human figures, but the Chinese and western national conditions are different. The royal garden is decorated with naked human figures, so it is replaced by the human figure of the animal head. The well-designed 12 zodiac animal head will spray water to inform the animal head of the arrival time.

Ma Weidou, an antique connoisseur, pointed out that the design and manufacturing technology of 12 animal head is quite different from the traditional technology in China. The most obvious thing is that the traditional animal pictures in China don't pay attention to hair details, but 12 animal heads are carved with fine hair. In addition, the shape of the animal's head is also different. For example, the horn of the animal's head bends forward, and the breed is more like European cattle than China cattle. Therefore, it is suspected that the animal head may be made abroad, or it may be designed and manufactured in China by European technicians. The head of this 12 animal head is a bronze sculpture and the body is a stone. The first time it was used, it was quite spectacular, but after a long time, the emperor lost interest. The waterway has been idle since the water pipeline was frozen and cracked in winter.

1860 When the British and French allied forces entered the Yuanmingyuan, 12 animal-shaped fountains were destroyed and left idle for a long time, but they were still looted. Because of its heavy metal material and lack of China characteristics, the animal head has been ignored in the western cultural relics field for more than 100 years. Until 1985, an antique dealer found three heads of cattle, tigers and horses in a mansion garden in California, USA, and was bought by the antique dealer at the price of 1500 USD each. In 20 13, the French Pino family bought a mouse head and a rabbit head at an antique auction and donated them to China. Several other pieces were auctioned abroad by the mainland military enterprise Poly Company. At the end of last year, Stanley Ho, the gambling king of Macao, bought a horse head at an auction and donated it to the Cultural Relics Bureau with HK$ 6,965,438+million.

It is said that the dragon head is still in Taiwan Province province, and it has been said that it will be auctioned in France, but it has never appeared, and it has not been confirmed so far. (Figure/Network)

Up to now, seven animal heads in Yuanmingyuan 12 Zodiac have returned to China, namely, the animal heads of rats, cows, tigers, rabbits, horses, monkeys and pigs, while the animal heads of dragons, snakes, sheep, chickens and dogs are still missing. Many years ago, it was rumored that the dragon head was well preserved in Taiwan Province Province, but it was neither made public nor confirmed. At one time, it was reported that the dragon head in Taiwan Province Province might be auctioned in French, but it didn't appear in the end. The only certainty is that these animal heads hit a new high every auction, mainly because of the economic development in recent years, and it is inevitable to snap up animal heads in the auction, pushing up the price of animal heads auction. Because for China, this is no longer an auction of cultural relics or antiques, but a political symbol of the rise of China.