China slams Christie's for its auction of looted bronzes

QChen

China slams Christie's for its auction of looted bronzes, vows to reclaim its relics
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-as-china-saint-laurent-auction,0,4283376.story

By GILLIAN WONG | Associated Press Writer

3:08 AM CST, February 26, 2009

A tourist takes picture of the posters advertising an exhibit showing sculptures of bronze heads from the Chinese zodiac disappeared in 1860, when French and British forces sacked the former Summer Palace on the outskirts of Beijing at the close of the second Opium War, at the ruins of the former Summer Palace in Beijing, China, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009. China said Tuesday that it was "ridiculous" for the longtime partner of French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent who owns two Chinese imperial bronzes to say he would return the relics to Beijing if the government gave Tibet freedom. The disputed Chinese bronze fountainheads of a rabbit and a rat are due for sale at a three-day Paris auction of art from the collection of the late French fashion designer, while China has opposed the auction, saying the artifacts should be returned. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) (Andy Wong, AP / February 25, 2009)

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing slammed auction house Christie's for selling two imperial bronze sculptures it says should have been returned to China and vowed Thursday to continue to hunt for and reclaim other similarly looted relics.

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage said the sale of two 18th century bronzes as part of an auction of art works owned by the late designer Yves Saint Laurent on Wednesday would impact Christie's interests in China.

Despite the objections the administration formally expressed to Christie's, the disputed bronze fountainheads — heads of a rat and a rabbit — were sold for euro28 million ($36 million) at the auction in Paris to an unidentified telephone bidder or bidders.

"Christie's obstinately went on with the auction of the Summer Palace relics, going against the spirit of relevant international conventions and the international common understanding that cultural relics should be returned to their country of origin," the administration said in a statement.

"This has hurt the cultural rights and interests of the Chinese people and the national sentiment, and will have a serious effect on Christie's development in China," it said.

The statement did not say what if any consequences the sale would have on Christie's operations in China, but in a separate notice it ordered tighter inspections of certificates of origin and other documentation of all cultural relics that Christie's seeks to bring in or out of the country.

The tightened examinations do not cover Christie's in Hong Kong, a duty officer at the administration said.

Christie's sales on mainland China are carried out through licensing partner Forever International Auction Company Limited, an auction house in Beijing. Its sales in 2008 totaled $6.2 million (40 million yuan), according to a statement on Christie's Web site. In Hong Kong, sales last year totaled $452.3 million, it said.

Christie's auction of the two bronzes did not break any laws or international agreements, but China argued the relics are a part of its cultural heritage and should be returned.

The 18th century sculptures disappeared from the Old Summer Palace on the outskirts of Beijing when French and British forces sacked and burned it at the close of the second Opium War in 1860. Today, only ruins remain.

The cultural heritage administration said it does not acknowledge the "illegal ownership of looted relics" and will continue to "pursue and reclaim cultural relics that were historically looted and illegally exported."

China's frustrated efforts at securing the return of the bronzes underscores the challenges the country faces trying to recover numerous cultural objects stolen more than a century ago when plunder was a given in warfare.

A private group, China's Lost Cultural Relics Recovery Program, estimates there are more than 1 million relics outside the country, scattered in 200 museums in 47 countries and that 10 times as many could be in private collections.