Mar 06 2009
Two Looted Relics from Yuanmingyuan
Recently, two looted Chinese relics at Christie’s auction in Paris which triggered wide protest in China.
These two bronze heads (Rabbit and Rat) were looted from Yuanmingyuan, the Old Summer Palace, by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860. Chinese government had tried repeatedly to dissuade Christie’s from auctioning the Qing Dynasty sculptures, but the effort failed
A Chinese antiques collector Mingchao Cai who successfully bid for two looted bronze sculptures auctioned in Paris last week says he will not pay his winning bid. The two relics were auctioned for 14 million euros (17.92 million U.S. dollars) each last week. They were owned by the late French designer Yves Saint Laurent.
The two pieces were originally among the Yuanmingyuan’s twelve original bronze animal statues inspired by the Chinese zodiac. Only five of these animals’ heads, the boar, tiger, ox, monkey and horse, have been fortunately returned from international auction markets. Others are still unknown except the latest two items.
An estimated 1.64 million Chinese relics are owned by foreign museums, according to State Administration of Cultural Heritage figures. Even more than that are owned by private collectors. A great number were looted, stolen and smuggled out of China between the 1860s and 1949 when the country was subjected to colonial invasion and civil wars.
Rat Head （in France）
Rabbit Head （in France）
OX Head （In China）
Tiger Head （in China）
Horse Head（in China）
Monkey Head（in China）
Pig Head (in China)
Snake (Missing)
Dragon (Missing)
Rooster (Missing)
Dog (Missing)
Goat (Missing)
