On March 31, TRON founder Justin Sun posted on Twitter that he had successfully auctioned off a complete set of NFT works featuring the heads of the twelve animals. It is said that the auction was held by Metapoly XM, a brand under Poly Auction (Xiamen). Justin Sun also prevailed in this "MetapolyXM- 12 Digital Zodiac Heads Special Auction" with a price of 9.8325 million CNY and successfully won the auction.
Major Auction Houses Set Their Sights on NFTs
The concept of NFT has been around for more than two years, but there are always people who question it. However, this hasn't stopped an increasing number of NFT authors and works from coming to the market, and in the last year, some of the most prestigious auction houses in the world have begun to turn their attention to this area of art. Not only famous auction houses such as Christie's and Sotheby's have entered the market, but also a number of auction platforms specifically designed for NFT works, such as Opensea and Nifty Gateway, which shows the great potential of the NFT sector.
In terms of creativity and aesthetics, NFT artworks are identical to physical artworks; the only difference is in the way they are presented. NFT artworks have a wider reach than physical artworks, and they are not limited by time or space. It could be argued that it fully satisfies the requirements of both art collectors and creators.
More notable figures have burned original works of art after the NFTization of genuine works of art to more intuitively demonstrate the value of NFT works to the public. Take the 2016 work " Morons" by Banksy, a British painter and well-known street graffiti artist, whose value nearly quadrupled when it was destroyed and converted to NFT, sparking heated debate in the art world.
Of course, this behavior is not desirable for expensive physical artworks; nevertheless, the NFTization of physical artworks offers a novel way to express rights and their representation. This time, MetapolyXMis auctioning "Digital Zodiac Animal Heads," a creation that uses blockchain technology to NFTize actual zodiac animal heads.
According to records, the twelve signs of the zodiac originated in the animal worship of primitive Chinese society and were used as a "chronology of tribes and branches" from the time of Emperor Shun. Although not all historians agree with this view, it is obvious that the "Chinese zodiac" embodies traditional Chinese culture. In addition, "rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig" represent the Chinese people's involvement in different years.
Also, in the form of NFT, MetapolyXM transfers this into the hottest "metaverse" of today.
MetapolyXM- 12 Digital Zodiac Heads Special
On the other hand, Justin Sun is undoubtedly a prominent figure in the field of NFT art. He is a new collector who has just entered the art scene. For him, the exhibition "MetapolyXM- 12 Digital Zodiac Heads Special" has a lot of appeal.
As a member of the worldwide Chinese community, Justin Sun does not need to say much about the emotions of the "12 Chinese zodiac signs"; and the "zodiac animal head" touches the hearts of every Chinese. Besides, only 7 (ox, monkey, tiger, pig, rat, and horse) of the 12 zodiac animal heads placed in Haiyan Hall of Old Summer Palacein China have returned to China so far. The whereabouts of the rest remain unknown. The reunion of the "twelve zodiac animal heads" is the wish of Justin Sun and many Chinese.
"It is a proud moment to bring together the 12 signs of the zodiac." Justin Sun expressed his joy in a series of tweets after receiving the entire NFT collection, which includes the heads of the 12 Zodiac.
This is well known among Chinese historians and collectors. The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animal Heads were alloy bronzes made by the imperial court. Master hands crafted those heads. The skin of the animal, the folds of the eyes, the ears, the mouth, and the nose are precisely and brilliantly carved. The "Chinese animal heads" are a wonderful representation of the Chinese zodiac in its entirety, and are worth collecting and appreciating.
The reunion of the NFTs with the heads of the zodiacal signs also underscores another aspect of the value of the NFTs. Physical works of art can dull or break over time, but the existence of the NFTs seems to give them a different kind of immortality.
Justin Sun is expected to place greater emphasis on the eternity of the "12 Zodiac Animal heads" in the future.
