A winged lion sculpture that symbolises the Italian city of Venice was made in China and went on a remarkable journey that possibly involved explorer Marco Polo’s father and the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan, researchers suggested Thursday.

Every year millions of people pass under the Lion of Venice, an ancient bronze sculpture which looks out on the Venetian Lagoon from the top of a column on the main square Piazza San Marco.

However much about this icon of the Venetian Republic remains shrouded in mystery.

It bears clear signs of having had a life before being installed near Saint Mark’s Basilica and Doge’s Palace.

Over the centuries its ears have been shortened, its wings have been changed — the sculpture even once had horns that were shorn off at some point.

“We don’t know w

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