We have just talked with the bronze casting studio, in Xian, who we represent in our gallery.  They had made some smaller versions of the infamous Qing Dynasty rat and rabbit sprinkler heads from the zodiac fountain at the New Summer Palace, in Beijing.  They were so sought after that the few that were made were purchased, in China.

The studio are, now, in the process of making more, in three sizes: original size, which is between a foot and two feet high plus one-half size and one-third size versions.  Not only that, but these will be very close copies of the originals because our bronze casting studio has very good connections in the world of sculpture, in and outside of China. One of their connections has taken detailed pictures of the originals, which are being auctioned out of the Yves Sainte Laurent estate, and the copies that they are making meticulously follow the details of the original sculptures, which were commissioned by the Qinglong Emperor who was responsible for the additions to the Old Summer Palace and included these works of art.  In fact, that is why we are calling them copies, rather than, simply, reproductions.  This is just one more reason that we have chosen this particular studio for inclusion in our gallery, and it is the kind of reason that also makes them one of the most esteemed bronze casting studios, in China.

In fact, there were already two pairs of original sized heads, in Guangzhou, but they already sold before we got to offer them on line.  We are now waiting for the others to arrive, as they are being made at the studio, and we will keep you posted as to when they arrive at the gallery, and we put them up on the Leona Craig Art Gallery On-line.

You can look for them, in the future, on page 6 of our sculpture gallery at http://www.leonacraig.com/catalogue_art_gallery/sculpture/Sculpture_page_6.htm.