At a ceremony in Beijing on Friday, the family of one of France’s wealthiest businessmen officially returned to China two bronze animal heads that were among the treasures looted in the 19th century from the imperial Summer Palace near Beijing by invading British and French troops.
The businessman, François-Henri Pinault, chief executive officer of Kering, the luxury goods company that owns Christie’s auction house, attended the ceremony at the National Museum of China in Tiananmen Square along with senior Chinese and French government officials, including China’s highest-ranking female politician, Liu Yandong, vice premier of the powerful State Council.
“This donation is a token of our family’s appreciation for China as well as our passion for the preservation of art and cultural heritage,†Mr. Pinault said,according to a statement.
The two bronzes, a rat head and a rabbit head, were unveiled from beneath red silk covers by Ms. Liu and Mr. Pinault’s father, Francois Pinault, Reuters reported.
For the Chinese, the looting of the palace symbolizes the humiliation it suffered at the hands of imperial Western forces during the Second Opium War. The two bronzes were among 12 animal heads, replicating the Chinese zodiac, featured in a central fountain clock at the palace.
Mr. Pinault, whose company has significant stakes in China, made the offer to return the two bronzes when he accompanied the French president, François Hollande, on his first visit to the country in April.
Also in April, Christie’s announced it had been granted a license that would enable it to become the first international auction house to operate independently on the Chinese mainland, where the art market has grown fast.
Li Xiaojie, vice minister of culture and head of China’s state administration of c! ultural heritage, said: “The Pinault family’s donation is a friendly gesture to the people of China and demonstrates great support for the preservation of China’s cultural heritage.â€
