Shanghai - Zodiac heads displayed
July 7, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE bronze heads of four zodiac animals looted by British and French troops in 1860 have gone on display at the newly-opened Jiading Museum. It is the first display of the objects since they were returned to China in 2000.
The pig, ox, tiger and monkey heads used to be part of the zodiac fountain at the Yuanmingyuan Garden in Beijing. The remaining eight are still unaccounted for overseas. But the display shows the exquisite craftsmanship of the bronze heads.
At one time, they sprayed water to mark the beginning of each of the 12 time periods used in ancient China.
In 2000, China's Poly Group bought the ox, monkey and tiger in a Hong Kong auction. Three years later, patriotic Hong Kong and Macao business magnate Stanley Ho Hung Sun bought the pig's head in the United States for over 6 million yuan (US$978,458) and donated it to the Poly Group.
The pig, ox, tiger and monkey heads used to be part of the zodiac fountain at the Yuanmingyuan Garden in Beijing. The remaining eight are still unaccounted for overseas. But the display shows the exquisite craftsmanship of the bronze heads.
At one time, they sprayed water to mark the beginning of each of the 12 time periods used in ancient China.
In 2000, China's Poly Group bought the ox, monkey and tiger in a Hong Kong auction. Three years later, patriotic Hong Kong and Macao business magnate Stanley Ho Hung Sun bought the pig's head in the United States for over 6 million yuan (US$978,458) and donated it to the Poly Group.
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