What are the sculptures in Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads installation based on?

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Chinese activist and artist Ai Weiwei in 2019, facing the camera and wearing a black zip-up jacket. — Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei, 2019.

Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads installation is based on the 12 animal signs of the Chinese zodiac.1

These bronze sculptures represent the traditional cycle of animals—rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig—that are central to the Chinese lunar calendar and cultural life. The work, which debuted in 2010, reflects the artist's ongoing exploration of the relationship between modern China and its historical cultural heritage.213