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Ming Dynasty Zhengtong Imitation of Song Acupuncture Bronze Statute (Replica)
With a height of 170cm and a weight of about 200 kg, this bronze statue was produced by Wang Weiyi, a government medical officer of the Northern Song Dynasty in the 5th Year of Tiansheng (1027 A.D.), and was named as "Tiansheng Bronze Statute". With a total of 657 acupoints carved on the surface, the statute was the first national standard for acupuncture meridians and points. Each of the acupoints was about 1.2 cm deep. When it was used for teaching and examinations, the surface would be covered with wax while its inner part was filled with water, thus ejecting fluid when the acupoints were pierced. The statue was one of the most sophisticated medical models of its time, and was a teaching method milestone in the world’s medical education history.
The acupoints had become unrecognizable when the "Tiansheng Bronze Statute" was passed down to the Zhengtong period of the Ming Dynasty. Emperor Ying of the Ming Dynasty commanded medical officers to reproduce a new statue, which was named "Ming Dynasty Zhengtong Imitation of Song Acupuncture Bronze Statute". |
