The History

A great mystery was unearthed in 1929, when a farmer digging a well in Guanghan, Sichuan, China, uncovered a delightful surprise: a collection of solid jade artifacts. Although efforts were made to discover more about this treasure, Chinese archeologists wouldn’t have any luck finding more artifacts until nearly 60 years later.

In 1986, workers at a brick factory accidentally uncovered a site filled with thousands of relics made of ivory, jade, bronze, and gold. A second site was found soon after, with an equal amount of dumbfounding treasures. Radiocarbon dating placed them in the 12th - 11th centuries BCE, making them over 3,000 years old!

Though all the relics were cause for excitement, what truly captured the attention of the world were the bronze masks. Scholars inferred they were not for wearing, perhaps suggesting they were for temples, for decoration, or prayer. They are incredibly precise in their features with unique bronze casts, and even more intriguing: some are covered in pure gold.

The gold is a thin foil, adhered to the bronze masks. Through the years some of the gold had come away from the masks, flaking off through time. However, the significance was clear, whoever had owned these masks had money, and most likely power, as the gold was 85% pure.

Not only are some of the masks enormous in size, some measuring a staggering 1.32 metres in width and 0.72 metres in height, but they are incredibly unusual anatomically. Many have large almond shaped eyes, and others have giant pupils bulging out from the head. Most have large ears, some pointed, some elongated, extending to the side or back of the head.

Are they sculptures of Cancong, founder of the mysterious Shu kingdom? He himself had large protruding eyes. Spirits? Deities to be worshipped? Though unclear the exact purpose of these masks, their stunning beauty has delighted and entranced audiences globally for years.

Shrouded in mystery, these stunning golden masks have stories to tell, and if they remain silent, we will have to come up with our own stories for them...