- Haiyantang
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The original figures in a drawing before the looting with all 12 head figures
The Haiyantang (Chinese: 海晏堂; pinyin: Hǎiyàntáng) was the area at Xiyang Lou that included a water clock fountain consisting of 12 bronze Chinese zodiac figures. The animal figurehead sculptures were looted during the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French expeditionary forces during the Qing dynasty Second Opium War in 1860.[1]
Contents
Descriptions
A stone fish figureThe 12 bronze figureheads were part of the Haiyantang water clock situated in the Garden of Eternal Spring (simplified Chinese: 长春园; traditional Chinese: 長春園; pinyin: Chángchūn Yuán). The 12 bronze figureheads represented the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac with the main bodies carved out of stone and heads cast from bronze. The animals spouted water to tell the time in a fountain created for the Qianlong emperor.[2] The design of the figures is attributed to the Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione.[3] The recovered Chinese collection are housed at the Poly Art Museum in Beijing. The Rabbit and Rat are part of designer Yves Saint Laurent's collection housed in France, and sold to an anonymous bidder by auction house Christie's on 25 February 2009.[4] On 2 March, a Chinese collector Cai Mingchao, who has identified himself as the bidder, claimed that he would not pay the money. Cai is an adviser to China's National Treasures Fund, which seeks to retrieve looted treasures.[5]
Current status
The current status of the heads are as follows:
Animal Year Recovered Recovered by Cost 鼠 子, Rat 2009 {See above for status} - 牛 丑, Ox 2000 China Poly Group Corp. USD $980,000 虎 寅, Tiger 2000 China Poly Group Corp. USD $1.98 million 兔 卯, Rabbit 2009 {See above for status} - 龍 辰 Dragon - - - 蛇 巳, Snake - - - 馬 午, Horse 2007 Stanley Ho USD $8.9 million 羊 未, Sheep - - - 猴 申, Monkey 2000 China Poly Group Corp. USD $1.03 million 雞 酉 Rooster - - - 狗 戌, Dog - - - 豬 亥, Pig 2003 Stanley Ho USD $770,000 See also
- 2009 Auction of Old Summer Palace bronze heads
- State Administration of Cultural Heritage
References
- ^ Wtop.com. "Wtop.com." French judges allows auction of Chinese artifacts . Retrieved on 2009-02-20.
- ^ CSmonitor.com. "CSmonitor.com." China protests Christie's auction in Paris of relics. Retrieved on 2009-02-20.
- ^ BBC News: Chinese zodiac statues' origins
- ^ Yahoo.com. "Yahoo.com." Saint Laurent auction rakes in nearly $500 million. Retrieved on 2009-02-26.
- ^ BBC News. "BBC News." China relics buyer refuses to pay. Retrieved on 2009-03-02.
External links
- International Herald Tribute, Auction Houses Add Insult to Injury, May 6, 2000
- Press Release: Bronze animals heads from Summer Palace go on display, Hong Kong, Heritage Museum Friday, January 9, 2004
- Macao casino mogul Stanley Ho buys stolen Chinese relic for US$8.9 million 21 September, 2007
- BBC report of February 2009 auction {rat & rabbit}
- BBC report/photographs of 4 of 5 bronze heads recovered prior to 2009 auction {OX, Tiger. Monkey, Pig}
- Report/photograph of Horse's head first auctioned in 1989 at Sotheby'
Categories:- Art and cultural repatriation
- Destroyed landmarks
- Qing Dynasty
- Chinese astrology
- 2000 in China
- 2003 in China
- 2007 in China
- Chinese architectural history
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