There is a copper yak in Gansu that is comparable to a copper galloping horse. Although it is not as famous as the copper galloping horse, its importance is not weaker than the copper galloping horse!
It is the copper yak found by Tianzhu. This bronze yak, 1.2 meters long and weighing 75 kilograms, only after seeing it did you really feel the bullishness!
Tianzhu County Museum holds a collection of cultural relics copper yak.
From excavation to discovery, the Tianzhu copper yak has undergone a very tortuous process, and finally the cultural workers have rescued them from the waste collection station. The bronze yak was unearthed in June 1972, but under the conditions at the time, not enough attention was paid to it. One after the other, they were sent to the waste collection station. Luckily, it met the discerning staff. In October 1980, the staff of the Tianzhu County Cultural Center inadvertently saw a copper yak treated as a waste product from the waste collection station. This staff member is not an ordinary person, he can see at a glance that this bronze yak is different, unique shape, beautiful curves, have an unusual temperament, not ordinary craftsmen can make. The graceful curvature of the shape lines is comparable to that of the copper galloping horse. Immediately, the staff member ran around looking for the initial land, reported the situation to the relevant units, and finally rescued and protected the copper yak.
This bronze yak is 1.2 meters long, the front ridge is 0.61 meters high, the horn is 0.42 meters long, and weighs 75 kilograms, which is completely cast according to a standing yak, and the horns, neck, abdomen, back and tail are beautifully curved, strong and vivid. Has a strong and powerful, mighty and majestic temperament. Its age is generally believed to have been minted in the Yuan Dynasty. In recent years, some people have examined that the bronze yak should have been cast in the Tang Dynasty as a prayer artifact of the Tubo tribe at that time.
This is the largest piece of copper yak found in China. Although its discovery was 11 years later than that of the Wuwei Copper Galloping Horse, it still caused a great sensation and was soon worshipped as a "sacred cow".
In 1990, the bronze yak went to Japan for exhibition, and for a time the bronze yak became famous. At the same time, it also brings fire to the specialty of Tianzhu white yak. Among the local specialties of Tianzhu, the white yak is one of them.
This bronze yak, whose body shape is very similar to that of the white yak, bears witness to the survival of the ancient white yak in Tianzhu. This is the first cattle in Gansu, and when you get closer, you can feel the real bullish spirit.
(Author: Wang Wenyuan)
(Source: New Gansu, Pocket Lanzhou, Lanzhou Morning Post)