|
The 2009 Auction of Old Summer Palace bronze heads took place in February 2009. Two bronze sculptures looted from the Old Summer Palace during the Second Opium War in 1860 were auctioned by international auction house Christie's. On 25 Feb 2009 the disputed 18th-century fountainheads — heads of a rat and a rabbit — were sold to a Mr. Cai Mingchao (蔡銘超) for 28 million euros as part of an auction of art works owned by the late French designer Yves Saint Laurent. Cai is an adviser to China's National Treasures Fund, which seeks to retrieve looted treasures by foreign invaders during the Qing dynasty. He then refused to pay the sum bid, claiming that he was bidding on moral and patriotic grounds. ==Auction== China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage had condemned the sale of the two bronzes and said it would affect Christie's interests in the country, ordering tighter inspections of all cultural relics that the auction house seeks to bring in or out of mainland China. It stated that the auction of the bronzes "goes against the spirit of relevant international conventions and the international common understanding that cultural relics should be returned to their country of origin."〔 〕 A press conference was held in Beijing by Cai Mingchao, in which Mr.Cai told reporters that: # He would not pay for the winning bid for the two bronze heads, and was quoted in saying:''But I must stress that I will not pay the money.'' # Mr. Cai said ''Wednesday’s bids for the bronze heads on moral and patriotic grounds'' # Cai was quoted in saying:''I believe that any Chinese person would stand up at this time... I am making an effort to fulfil my own responsibilities'' 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2009 auction of Old Summer Palace bronze heads」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|