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05.05.2013 Feature Article

Rat And Rabbit Sculptures Returned To China By Owner Of Christie's.

Rat And Rabbit Sculptures Returned To China By Owner Of Christie's.
05.05.2013 LISTEN

“One day two bandits entered the Summer Palace. One plundered, the other burned. Victory can be a thieving woman, or so it seems. The devastation of the Summer Palace was accomplished by the two victors acting jointly. Mixed up in all this is the name of Elgin, which inevitably calls to mind the Parthenon. What was done to the Parthenon was done to the Summer Palace, more thoroughly and better, so that nothing of it should be left. All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient. It contained not only masterpieces of art, but masses of jewellery. What a great exploit what a windfall! One of the two victors filled his pockets; when the other saw this he filled his coffers. And back they came to Europe, arm in arm, laughing away. Such is the story of the two bandits.” Victor Hugo. (1)

These sculptures of a rat head and a rabbit head were among the objects looted in 1860 when French and British soldiers under the command of Lord Elgin sacked the imperial palace. The eighth Lord Elgin was the son of the seventh Lord Elgin, who removed the Parthenon Marbles from Athens These sculptures of a rat head and a rabbit head were among the objects looted in 1860 when French and British soldiers under the command of Lord Elgin sacked the imperial palace. The eighth Lord Elgin was the son of the seventh Lord Elgin, who removed the Parthenon Marbles from Athens

. During a visit to China, as part of the French delegation accompanying President François Hollande, François Henri Pinault, the owner of Christie's and head of a conglomerate specializing in luxury goods, announced that he would return the sculptures of a rat head and a rabbit head to China.

Readers will recall that the two sculptures were part of a 12 set of Chinese zodiac symbols that combined Anglo-French forces had looted in a notorious attack on the Summer Palace in Beijing in 1860 during an imperialist invasion of China. (2)

Looting of the Old Summer Palace, Gardens of Perfect Brightness, Beijing, Yuan Ming Yuan by Anglo-French forces in 1860. Looting of the Old Summer Palace, Gardens of Perfect Brightness, Beijing, (Yuan Ming Yuan) by Anglo-French forces in 1860.

The two sculptures were offered for auction in Paris in 2009 as part of the estate of the late French fashion maker, Yves Saint Laurent. The Chinese authorities tried to stop the sale on grounds that they were looted objects but their objections were rejected by a French court. The sales proceeded and a Chinese antiques collector, Cai Mingchao, won the bid at a price of US$ 40m. but refused to pay. Pinault later bought the sculptures from Pierre Bergé, the partner of Yves Saint-Laurent.

In offering to return the two sculptures which are dear to the Chinese who still feel the humiliation they suffered during the imperialist attack, Pinault has undoubtedly contributed enormously to improving Sino-Chinese relations. This generous offer may not be entirely unrelated to the growing business interests of the benefactor in the Chinese market which is a large profitable market for luxury goods from the West. But whatever motivations lie behind the gesture of the Frenchman, he has done the right thing by restoring to the Chinese their looted cultural objects. Many Westerners supported the retention of these looted artefacts and applauded the rejection of the Chinese demands for their return. Some even linked this unlawful and illegitimate retention to violations of human rights by China declaring that so long as that State committed such violations, Chinese cultural properties should not be returned. Indeed, Pierre Bergé offered to enter into a negotiated deal with China if it changed its attitude towards human rights.

The French and the British are usually among the first to criticize the Chinese for violations of human rights. Yet the Westerners seem oblivious of their own permanent and historic violations of the human rights of the Chinese through the withholding of Chinese cultural objects they looted and are keeping in their museums.

By his noble gesture, François Pinault has exposed those still holding outmoded imperialist and racist ideas about the cultural objects of Asians and Africans. The retentionist arguments have been dealt a heavy blow and left open the question regarding the future attitude and approaches of the many Western museums and individuals still holding cultural artefacts looted in the notorious attack on the Summer Palace in 1860.

Chinese artefacts in British Museum ,London. Chinese artefacts in British Museum ,London.

Will the example of Pinault be followed by other individuals and institutions?

The British Museum is said to hold the largest number of the looted Chinese artefacts, some 23,000 pieces. (3) Most of these artefacts are not on display and can only be seen with special permission. Will the British Museum, Musée Guimet, Musée du Quai Branly, Paul Getty Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts, and the other Western museums freely return some of the looted Chinese cultural artefacts? The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts has recently announced its intention to return two statues to Cambodia, a good beginning that could be followed by others.

What about the looted African artefacts in Western museums? Will Western museums be in less hurry to consider returning African artefacts because the African governments have not put enough pressure on them or because they are not worried by what those governments could do?

After the spectacular successes of China, Egypt and Turkey in restitution matters, will Nigerian government pursue a more energetic policy or continue to labour under the illusion that its policy has been successful even though there is not a single success that one could show?

The issue of restitution must be pursued vigorously on principled grounds and

not through opportunistic pragmatism. The attack on the Summer Palace in Beijing could be compared to the attacks on Benin City (Nigeria) in 1897, Kumasi (Ghana) in 1874, Beijing (China) in 1860 and Magdala, (Ethiopia) in 1860: they were all motivated by imperialism and greed. Western museums could help reduce the resentments created by such notorious invasions that are recalled by presence of the looted artefacts in the museums.

Kwame Opoku, 11 May.2013.

NOTES
1, Victor Hugo, on the sack of the summer palace UNESCO Courier.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-9196698_ITM
www.mutualart.com/...Summer.../311A8C3FEBDC5

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
2. K. Opoku,”Is it not time to fulfil Victor Hugo's wish? Comments on Chinese Claim to Looted Chinese Artefacts on Sale at Christie's”, http://www.modernghana.com
Chinese Research Artefacts Looted in Anglo-French Attack on Summer Palace in 1860: Do Great Museums not keep Records?” http://www.modernghana.com
See also, David Gill, “YSL and China”, Looting Matters, February 12, 2009.
“China's claims on the Yves Saint Laurent bronze sculptures”',Elginism.
http://www.elginism.com

3. “British Museum holds highest number of looted Chinese relics”, People's Daily Online. 25 October, 2010 http://english.peopledaily.com.

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