There’s something haunting about these two recently auctioned Qing dynasty bronzes, which were looted when Beijing’s Summer Palace was razed by invading French and British forces in 1860. Usually bronzes don’t do much for me, but these two are captivating. Perchance it is their colourful past, or the kerfuffle they have caused. No matter to them, these two should be returned to China whence they came. |
Though time heals some wounds, crimes of the past are not absolved due to the passage of time. These two statues are stolen goods, well known and documented. France will pay in a breakdown of bilateral relations with China, no doubt. We can only hope that France returns these statues to China as quickly as possible.
There is a downside to plundered items becoming museum artifacts in other countries, but sometimes the movement out of the country saves historic and art works. The local people may not value things that are a part of everyday life, and thus allow them to become extinct.
In this sense, returning artifacts to their original location may not serve the interests of world history.
The irony of these statues is that if they were left in China, they most certainly would have been destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. France and Britain saved these statues from near certain destruction. That being said, they were still stolen, should be returned and will be well taken care of.
this whole scenario is just stupid
As Dontai says, these items were stolen but rescued. 90% of antiquities in museums and collections were stolen from graves or unearthed. Every museum is complicit in this theft. But without this theft we would know far less about human history. It is far better that material culture is unearthed (‘stolen’) and put into museums for countless thousands to enjoy. If China or India or any country feels strongly about things returning then they can pay up for the goods. Its an open market and the Chinese State has enough billions in T-Bonds to buy antiques that it feels are vital to its culture. If they do not buy then it is clear that this is in fact a purely political strategy. Many countries such as Thailand talk a lot about preserving culture but their museums have no funding and their temples are falling apart and their important architecture is replaced with ugly concrete buildings. Like western nations they should put their money where their mouth is in this Asian Century.
“The irony of these statues is that if they were left in China, they most certainly would have been destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. France and Britain saved these statues from near certain destruction.”
These are part of the Forbidden City relics collection, they would either have been taken by the KMT or protected by the army as Zhou En Lai had ordered them to protect it from the red guards.
Should have said Zhou En Lai ordered the army to protect the Forbidden City.