This impressive figure is a shamanic god-king or high priest . He stands on an elephant head. The bronze statue is a reproduction of a larger one (8 1/2 feet tall) that was uncovered at Sanxingdui ("three star mound'), which is 25 miles from the Sichuan capitol Chengdu. Scholars guess that he is holding either a jade cong or an elephant tusk, as both were found in the archeological dig. One of the most important finds in the 20th century, the site yielded jades, bone, pottery, elephant tusks, and large bronzes. The pits where these objects were found, may represent a decommissioning of sacred materials after a disaster (flood or earthquake) or an invasion. No writing has been found to clearly identify the objects. While bronze vessels and objects were made in other locations in China during this period, this culture featured bronze human figures. The GTU collection contains additional objects (2015.15, 2015.16) from the site. (DJS)

For information on the find see: http://bit.ly/2MqUdFA. For additional bronzes, see: http://bit.ly/3aKcG8v