Two controversial ancient Chinese relics were auctioned on Wednesday night for 14 million euros (17.92 million U.S. dollars) each to anonymous telephone bidders at Christie's sale of the collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge.
Five days before the auction, owner of the bronzes, French businessman Berge, linked the return of the sculptures with the issues of "human rights in China and the freedom of Tibet."
Such a gesture was "very stupid," Bernard Brizay, French historian and journalist, as well as author of the book "1860: the Looting of the Old Summer Palace," said in an interview with Xinhua.
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Christie's auctions a bronze rabbit head made for the Zodiac fountain of the Emperor Qianlong's Summer Palace in China from the private art collection of late French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent at the Grand Palais Museum in Paris February 25, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) |
Brizay used the word "stupid" five times in his comments on Berge's move, saying that combining the two relics with human rights, Tibet issues and offering a swap "in a tough and defiant tone" was not different to "blackmailing for ransom."
Brizay once worked for the Le Figaro newspaper and has published various historical monographs.
Particularly fond of Chinese culture, Brizay has traveled to China on 15 occasions, during which he learned about how the Anglo-French allied forces looted the Old Summer Palace in Beijing in the 19th century.
In 2003, Brizay published "1860: the Looting of the Old Summer Palace" based on first-hand recollections of diplomats, military officers and soldiers that participated in the looting. The book clearly depicted this catastrophe in the history of human culture with a large amount of valuable details.
The work triggered strong reactions in Western countries, and former French President Jacques Chirac said it "made a contribution to clarifying facts in episodes of our history."
Regarding the controversial auction of the relics, a rat's head and a rabbit's head, Brizay said they belong to China and should return where they came from. Therefore, he fully understood anger from the Chinese citizens regarding the issue.
The French scholar also showed support for the attempts by cultural heritage organizations and lawyers to pursue the return of the relics through legal measures.
Brizay noted that in view of the difficulty to collect evidence and challenge the legitimacy of the owner, the possibility of winning the lawsuit was remote. However, such attempts were worthy as it showed China's firm determination to reclaim the cultural relics.
Despite relevant international agreements, reclaiming relics could be a complicated process, Brizay said.
"If I had the money, I would have done it," Birzay said.
The 68-year-old historian has a passionate love and admiration for Chinese people and culture.
Chinese people are intelligent, industrious and energetic, he said.
He could not hold back his tears when visiting the debris of the Old Summer Palace for the first time, Brizay said.
"What the Anglo-French allied forces did was a crime to China and all human beings," he said, "treasures in the Old Summer Palace are the world's cultural heritage that not only belong to the Chinese people but also to the whole human race."
"As a citizen of France, the European Union and the world, I also feel myself being robbed," he said.
With such affection, Brizay decided to write "1860: the Looting of the Old Summer Palace" to introduce the tragic history of the Old Summer Palace, about which many French know little.
Brizay is gratified the book had received a lot of attention after the publication of the first edition, the sales of which decupled expected number. The book has been reissued for the third time so far.
(Source: Xinhuanet/China Tibet Information Center)