Detail of Large Standing Figure

Sanxingdui Museum

The "solar" (according to the museum label) crown, plus the shallow relief on the figure's left sleeve, are on evidence here, as are its exaggerated and oversize hands¹ that probably once held a mighty elephant's tusk. The figure's stylized but powerful face, perching upon an exaggerated neck, is comparable to other bronze faces in the museum (following pages). Shallow relief on the sleeve and crown would have been well-suited to inlay decoration, although none has been found. Gold masks have been associated to some of the other faces in Sanxingdui (see following pages), but not to this one.

¹Note: compare Michelangelo's David: huge hands equate to power and authority.