Old Summer Palace Bronze Heads
The Twelve Old Summer Palace bronze heads are a collection of bronze fountainheads in the shape of the Chinese zodiac animals that were part of a water clock fountain in front of the Haiyantang (Chinese: 海晏堂; pinyin: Hǎiyàntáng) building of the Xiyang Lou (Western style mansions) area of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing.
Believed to have been designed by the Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione for the Qianlong Emperor, the statues would spout out water from their mouths to tell the time.
The bronze-cast heads of the stone statues were among the treasures looted during the destruction of the Old Summer Palace by British and French expeditionary forces in 1860 during the Second Opium War. Since then, they have been among the most visible examples of attempts to repatriate Chinese art and cultural artifacts. Two of the heads, the rat and the rabbit, were formerly held by French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and were the subject of an international scandal (2009 auction of Old Summer Palace bronze heads).
The Poly Museum (New Beijing Poly Plaza), a museum in Beijing owned and operated by China Poly Group Corporation, a state-owned Chinese business group enterprise, is filled with repatriated artworks, including several of the animal fountainheads. China Poly bought the tiger, monkey, and ox through auction houses in Hong Kong in 2000, while the pig’s head was recovered in New York by Hong Kong casino magnate Stanley Ho, who in turn donated it to the Poly Museum.
The CEO of Poly Culture (an offshoot of China Poly Group focused on art-repatriation and antiquities), Jiang Yingchun, has been quoted as saying: "The heads represent our feelings for the entire nation; we love them and we weep for them. We can try many ways to get the heads back. The auction is just one method. We can't ignore that the art was taken illegally,” even if it was being well cared for, he said. “If you kidnapped my children and then treated them well, the crime is still not forgiven."
Current status
| Photo | Animal | Year recovered | Current location | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rat | 2013 | National Museum of China | $18 million at hammer price | Yves Saint Laurent's collection. Christie's, 2009. Donated by François Pinault (Christie's owner) in a ceremony on June 28, 2013 |
 | Ox | 2000 | Poly Art Museum, Beijing | USD $0,98 million | Sotheby's London, June 1989. By Christie's Hong Kong, 2000. From China Poly Group Corp. |
 | Tiger | 2000 | Poly Art Museum, Beijing | USD $1,98 million | Sotheby's London, June 1989. By Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2000. From China Poly Group Corp. |
 (4th from left) | Rabbit | 2013 | National Museum of China | $18 million at hammer price | Yves Saint Laurent's collection. Christie's, 2009 Donated by François Pinault in a ceremony on June 28, 2013 |
 | Dragon | 2018 | unknown | - | Possibly sold on December 17, 2018 at auction house Tessier & Sarrou et Associés for $3.4 million |
 | Snake | - | unknown | - | - |
 | Horse | 2007 | Capital Museum | US$8.9 million | Sotheby's London, June 1989, 400,000 USD. From Stanley Ho, by Sotheby's Hong Kong |
 | Goat | - | unknown | - | - |
 | Monkey | 2000 | Poly Art Museum, Beijing | US$1.03 million | New York, 1987. By Christie's Hong Kong, 2000 From China Poly Group Corp. |
 (3rd from right) | Rooster | - | unknown | - | - |
 | Dog | - | unknown | - | In 2003 a Hong Kong auction house planned to sell the fake |
 | Pig | 2003 | Poly Art Museum, Beijing | US$0.77 million | New York, 1987. From Stanley Ho |
In culture
- Ai Weiwei in 2010 created his own interpretation of 12 heads "The Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads", where 5 were recreated. It exists in bronze and gold versions. Sold for $4.4 million.
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Circle of Animals Zodiac heads
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- CZ12 (2012) - Jackie Chan's movie about treasure hunting.
- Portrait of a thief (2022), Grace D.Li - book
See also
References
External links
- International Herald Tribute, Auction Houses Add Insult to Injury, May 6, 2000
- Press Release: Bronze animals heads from Summer Palace go on display, Hong Kong, Heritage Museum Friday, January 9, 2004
- Macao casino mogul Stanley Ho buys stolen Chinese relic for US$8.9 million 21 September, 2007
- BBC report of February 2009 auction {rat & rabbit}
- BBC report/photographs of 4 of 5 bronze heads recovered prior to 2009 auction {OX, Tiger. Monkey, Pig}
- report/photograph of the Haiyantang Horse head statute
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