Museum in another cover-up?
By Wang Qingchu |
August 10, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE National Palace Museum was accused of covering up damage to a wooden folding screen made in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), an anonymous industry insider said.
The folding screen was said to have been submerged in water when researchers were restoring the antique, resulting in the damage, Dahe.cn website reported yesterday.
The official in charge of the museum's scientific research department concealed the accident from his superiors for more than a week. It wasn't reported until damage to a rare porcelain plate, which was accidentally smashed in a scientific test, was disclosed by an online whistleblower.
The industry insider also claimed many department heads at the museum, which is housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, lack experience and knowledge in dealing with antiques.
As nobody was held responsible for damaging the precious national treasures, the awareness of how to protect antiques has declined among museum officials, the insider said, according to the report.
The museum was heavily criticized when a centuries-old porcelain plate was broken into six pieces during a scientific test. The accident was blamed on a researcher's error.
The museum denied it tried to cover up the incident. It said it didn't publicize the accident immediately because it wanted to complete an internal investigation.
The folding screen was said to have been submerged in water when researchers were restoring the antique, resulting in the damage, Dahe.cn website reported yesterday.
The official in charge of the museum's scientific research department concealed the accident from his superiors for more than a week. It wasn't reported until damage to a rare porcelain plate, which was accidentally smashed in a scientific test, was disclosed by an online whistleblower.
The industry insider also claimed many department heads at the museum, which is housed in the Forbidden City in Beijing, lack experience and knowledge in dealing with antiques.
As nobody was held responsible for damaging the precious national treasures, the awareness of how to protect antiques has declined among museum officials, the insider said, according to the report.
The museum was heavily criticized when a centuries-old porcelain plate was broken into six pieces during a scientific test. The accident was blamed on a researcher's error.
The museum denied it tried to cover up the incident. It said it didn't publicize the accident immediately because it wanted to complete an internal investigation.
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