Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is an artwork by Chinese contemporary artist and political commentator, Ai Weiwei. The work comes in a small (gold) and large (bronze) version. Created in 2010, the zodiac heads (a Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig) are inspired by those which once comprised a water clock-fountain at the Old Summer Palace, which is a complex of palaces and gardens in Beijing that were constructed by the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. The Old Summer Palace was eventually destroyed by French and British troops in
Painting of the Six Kings "Nikē" "Victory" above her. Opposite the painting, towards which the six rulers are gesturing, is a painting of a man seated on a throne. Above this man is an inscription containing a blessing on a person whose name is now invisible. The intent and meaning of the painting are unclear, and disputed by scholars. The highly diverse interpretations of the painting are partly due to the loss of information from the damage. According to Islamic art consultant Patricia Baker, the Greek word for "victory" appearing nearby suggests that the image was meant to suggest the caliph's supremacy over his enemies.