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Genghis Khan`s portrait found on ox horns in north China
Beijing, Nov 28: A craftsman in north China`s inner Mongolia has claimed to have found mysterious portraits of the legendary ruler Genghis Khan ingrained in ox horns.
Beijing, Nov 28: A craftsman in north China's
inner Mongolia has claimed to have found mysterious portraits
of the legendary ruler Genghis Khan ingrained in ox horns.
The biggest of the portraits was about the size of a
standard passport photo, and was very much like the badges of
late Chinese leader Mao Zedong worn by many Chinese in the
1960s, said He Hongchen, A manchu craftsman in Ewenki
autonomous banner, over 2,000 km from the region's
capital Hohhot.
"Even I cannot tell why these portraits have come out," said he, 55. "But I've found them only on the horns of some bulls, and the exact position of the portraits on the horns varies," Xinhua news agency today quoted he as saying.
Plain horns with a fine texture often bear clearer portraits, which were just like the portraits most Mongols hung on the walls of their tents to show love and respect for the legendary leader, he said.
An avid lover of fine arts, he started to make souvenirs out of ox horns in 1998.
The first head portrait of Genghis Khan came out in one of the slices in January, 2003, when he was grinding the horn as usual. "It appeared after some ten minutes of grinding," he said, "and the more I worked on it, the clearer it became."
And the same portrait, in different sizes, has appeared in some other horns. He was convinced it was part of the horns rather than printed or carved into them by man. "Once it's there, you can never erase it no matter how hard you try.
Bureau Report
"Even I cannot tell why these portraits have come out," said he, 55. "But I've found them only on the horns of some bulls, and the exact position of the portraits on the horns varies," Xinhua news agency today quoted he as saying.
Plain horns with a fine texture often bear clearer portraits, which were just like the portraits most Mongols hung on the walls of their tents to show love and respect for the legendary leader, he said.
An avid lover of fine arts, he started to make souvenirs out of ox horns in 1998.
The first head portrait of Genghis Khan came out in one of the slices in January, 2003, when he was grinding the horn as usual. "It appeared after some ten minutes of grinding," he said, "and the more I worked on it, the clearer it became."
And the same portrait, in different sizes, has appeared in some other horns. He was convinced it was part of the horns rather than printed or carved into them by man. "Once it's there, you can never erase it no matter how hard you try.
Bureau Report