Rhinoceros-topped lynch-pin at The British Museum, London

myminifactory

The animal head of this central component serves as an illustration of the Zhou's fascination with real artifacts that they acquired from peoples to the North and Northwest. A central component would have been utilized for axle caps from different chariots. The Western Zhou period (1046-771 BC) marked the beginning of the first half of the Zhou dynasty in ancient China, which started when King Wu of Zhou overthrew the Shang dynasty at the Battle of Muye. The dynasty enjoyed a successful run of about seventy-five years before gradually losing power. The former Shang territories were divided into hereditary fiefs that became increasingly independent of the king. In 771, the Zhou were forced out of the Wei River valley; afterwards real authority was held by the king's nominal vassals. This object is part of "Explore The World". Explore The World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access for free. Explore The World is an open source, community effort, if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email etw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help. Scanned: Photogrammetry (Processed using Agisoft PhotoScan)