Ill auction not illegal

Sale of stolen relics opens wound, but buying back still good option

The cultural relics robbed and stolen from Yuanmingyuan, a Chinese imperial garden that was burned and looted in 1860 by the Anglo-French forces, never fail to attract attention every time they appear in public.

On December 17, an imperial jade seal reportedly dedicated to emperor Qianlong (1711-1799) was auctioned for 1.12 million euros ($1.47 million) at Artcurial auction house in Paris. According to APACE, an association in France engaged in protecting Chinese cultural relics, the seal could have been stolen from Yuanmingyuan.

Artcurial published a communiqué on December 10 to deny that the seal was from Yuanmingyuan, stating that it would not cancel the auction. APACE responded that it would take legal action if the sale went ahead.

Other experts doubted the authenticity of APACE's examination. Meanwhile, the controversy has aroused a wave of discussion about the auction of cultural relics from Yuanmingyuan.

Controversial auction

The State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) stated on December 18 that it objects to the behavior of auctioning Chinese cultural relics that are lost illegally and maintains the right of recourse for any confirmed illegally lost relics.

SACH said it hoped related agencies will comply with relevant international conventions and respect the feelings of the Chinese people by stopping the auction and commercial speculation of such items.

Bernard Gómez, the president of APACE, said he tried to prevent the auction, regarding it as an attempt to legalize looted relics. "They just would not listen. They don't understand the Chinese spirit," Gómez told Legal Mirror.

The auction is controversial not only in whether the seal can be legally auctioned, but also in its origin. An expert invited by APACE said that the seal belongs to Yuanmingyuan and to the reign of emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820). But Artcurial insisted it is from the reign of emperor Qianlong and denied it belongs to Yuanmingyuan, saying the seal was from a French family, who has been the owner since the late 19th century.

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