On Sunday 5 October, the French collector, the head of auction house Pierre Bergé & Associés Berger (Pierre Bergé) said in an interview on French radio RTL, which proposed a Taiwanese museum to take the bronze heads of rats and rabbits, which have become top -lots sale of his collection. He was refused: the museum did not want to provoke the Chinese authorities.

Recall that the sculpture, which Berger and his partner, Yves Saint-Laurent (Yves Saint-Laurent) purchased at the Paris Galerie Kugel, in 1860, were stolen from the Beijing Imperial Palace of Perfect Splendor. After Berger announced his intention to use them with a hammer, authorities demanded the return Celestial rats and rabbits at home. A group of Chinese activists even went to court to stop the sale but failed. Sam Berger said that China will give the sculpture, only if the government of that country will respect human rights, freedom of Tibet and will take the Dalai Lama. Organizer bidding auction house Christie's haste to distance themselves from these statements, but to remove the work from the auction declined. According to Berger, in those days, he received many threats, and someone even threatened to kill him. Collector had a few days walking with bodyguards.

At auction, held February 25, figures brought to 15.7 million euros each (preliminary estimate was 8.10 million) . But the last word still remains in China: auction winner fights collector Minchao Tsai (Cai Mingchao) refused pay for the sculpture . His action he called "an act of patriotism." According to Tsai, any Chinese in his place would have done the same. Because Berger had to take the work itself. Now they are stored in a safe Christie's.

After the interview RTL there were rumors that Berger wanted to give the sculpture to one of the major cultural institutions in Taiwan - National Palace-Museum (NPM), located in the capital. The fact is that in June, the collector, met with the director of this museum, Zhou Kun-Shin (Chou Kung-shin), who came to Paris at the invitation of the French government. Furthermore, according to Taiwan Liberty Times, representatives NPMzayavili that did not take the rats and rabbits, because they are "not fit" in their collection. However, in the same article states that Berger did not offer anything to the museum - NPM only explained how to proceed if the collector still comes to mind to do it.

On Wednesday, the issue was discussed at a meeting of parliament. Lee Ching-hua (Lee Ching-hua), representative of the ruling Kuomintang, advocating for closer ties with China, called the leaders of the National Palace Museum "spineless". "He wants you to give artifacts, and you can not even agree with it?" - He resented. Zhou Kun-Shin replied to this that in the summer, when she was in Paris, about any gifts and no question went. She confirmed that even if Berger and offer work to the museum, the museum will reject this proposal: "Since the [sculpture] were taken [Chinese] illegally ... we could not accept them because we respect the principles of professional ethics." She said the museum will not include in his collection of "controversial" works of art.

Director of the National Museum of History in Taiwan Huang Yung-zhuang (Huang Yung-chuan) said that his museum is happy to take the artifacts, if Berger wants to give them to him. As for the collector, he was ready to consider various options. However, Berger stressed that China sculpture he did not propose ever.

article prepared by Julia Maksimova, AI

Sources: etaiwannews.com , rtl.fr , artinvestment.ru