Rare pieces stolen from Chinese museum in France

[TaiShang]

Rare pieces stolen from Chinese museum in France

A Chinese chimera in cloisonné enamel from the reign of Qianlong (1736-95). Gerard Blot / RMN-Grand palais


About 15 rare pieces of art have been stolen from the Chinese Museum of the Chateau de Fontainebleau, southeast of Paris.

They include a crown of the King of Siam, given to French Emperor Napoleon III during the king's visit to France in 1861, and a Chinese chimera in cloisonné enamel from the reign of Qianlong (1736-95) during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the French Culture Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the break-in before dawn on Sunday at the museum in Fontainebleau Castle was over in less than seven minutes. The thefts took place in one of the most secure parts of the castle, equipped with alarms and surveillance cameras, the ministry said.

Police are investigating.

A Tibetan mandala were among the 15 rare pieces of art stolen from the Chinese Museum at the Chateau de Fontainebleau. Gerard Blot / RMN-Grand palais


Jean-Francois Hebert, who runs Fontainebleau Castle, said, "We think they were very determined, knew exactly what they were looking for and worked in a very professional manner."

Castle spokesman Alexis de Kermel said he could not estimate the objects' value and that they are priceless and the museum's master work.

The ministry said the stolen objects were assembled by Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III, for her Chinese museum in 1863.

The crown was donated by ambassadors of Siam, now Thailand, during an official visit to France two years earlier.

 

[Nan Yang]

Jackie Chan at work.

 

[Keel]

From the collectors / artistic points of view the stolen pieces are more valuable than the Chinese Zodiac bronze heads

The news below has also given tremendous incentives to thieves to commit crimes on our national treasures

Art market needs more masterpieces to be offered
Updated: 2015-01-16 07:09
By Deng Zhangyu(China Daily Europe)

Collectors reluctant to part with art, despite a few big-ticket sales

Although deals in the Chinese mainland art market shrank in 2014 compared to the previous year, the continuing strong demand for antique paintings and scrolls, along with the rise of Chinese collectors on the international stage and diversified auctions, are all sustaining hope in the growth of the art market.

Sales in auction houses in China from January to September last year totaled 15.3 billion yuan ($2.5 billion; 2.1 billion euros), says Ouyang Shuying, deputy secretary-general of the China Association of Auctioneers. With autumn auctions ending, major houses like China Guardian and Poly Auction that represent more than half the art market have seen an average 20 percent drop in sales.

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Antique bronzeware sold by the Xiling Yinshe Auction Company in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Photos Provided to China Daily

However, experts who attended the recent Chinese Art Market Summit say that China's art market is "never in need of money" but is currently in need of confidence and masterpieces.

White Pagoda Hill, a set of hand scrolls by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), fetched 116 million yuan at a Poly Auction event on Dec 2, setting a record for Chinese paintings and calligraphy.

"It has been really hard for us to persuade collectors to sell this year," says Dong Guoqiang, president of the Beijing Council International Auction Company. "China's art market is still in a transitional year. But we are not short of money. Just look at China's stock market. It achieved 1.2 trillion yuan ($193.3 billion; 163.7 euros) in a single day."

Dong says that there are few high-quality artworks to attract good prices, meaning prices of more than 100 million yuan, offered by Chinese collectors in 2014. But that has not prevented them from turning to the international market to invest in Western art.

After Dalian Wanda Group's real estate mogul Wang Jianlin bought Pablo Picasso's Claude et Paloma at Christie's for $28.2 million (23.8 million euros), movie tycoon Wang Zhongjun purchased Vincent van Gogh's 1890 painting Still Life, Vase with Daisies and Poppies for $61.76 million at a Sotheby's auction in New York in November.

Talking about his expensive purchase, Wang Zhongjun says the price was $10 million lower than what he had expected.

"I loved it at first sight when it was on preview in Hong Kong. I didn't think much before my purchase. I just love it," says Wang.

He already owns paintings by Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Pierre-Auguste Renoir.

"I enjoy sitting on a couch with a cigar and looking at these masterpieces hanging on the walls in my house," says Wang, whose collection also includes Chinese paintings and sculptures.

However, some collectors are spending big on domestic art. Liu Yiqian made several big overseas purchases of Chinese antiques.

Early last year, Liu bought a chicken cup that was used by emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at a Sotheby's auction for a record price of $36.3 million. In November, he offered HK$348 million ($45 million; 38 million euros) at a Christie's auction for an embroidered silk thangka, a type of painting on fabric usually depicting Buddhist imagery.

After the purchase, Liu joked on his microblog, saying: "I exhausted myself to successfully win the thangka from a foreign bidder. I was so determined." The post won him a nickname from netizens: "Determined man". But Liu explained later, at the Chinese Art Market Summit, that he bought the thangka due to his deep fondness for it.

Both purchases at such high prices have stirred some criticism from the public over the value and prices of artworks.

"It's childish to focus only on the price of an artwork. We should spend more time understanding their priceless value," says Liu, who established the Long Museum, a private museum in Shanghai.

Dong, from the Beijing Council, says the cultural environment should be more tolerant and that people should not criticize a collector because of expensive purchases of masterpieces.

"We should encourage more of our collectors to buy things overseas. They have set up their own collection systems instead of buying randomly. They have started to take on an international vision," Dong says.

To woo back Chinese collectors who have been buying overseas, domestic auction houses have vigorously diversified their artworks.

This year, the number of special auctions devoted to a particular category is increasing sharply, such as hardwood furniture from the Ming Dynasty and antique clothes from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

The recent auction of Chinese antique bronze ware by Xiling Yinshe Auction Company in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, among the first of its kind in China, was a success, with all of the pieces selling fast.

Zhao Xu, president of China Guardian, says that Jack Ma, founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, has promised to invest more in the company's collaboration with the auction house.

dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn

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Collector Liu Yiqian offered HK$348 million ($45 million; 38 million euros) for this embroidered silk thangka in a November auction.


World's Most Expensive Vases
by jeremy
Some of the earliest pottery has been discovered in China, dating back to 9000 BC, and ceramic goods from the region can be traced back to the dynasties under which they were created. In fact, the first porcelain is believed to have been created under the Han dynasty from 202 BC to 220 AD. As China’s history is rich with beautiful ceramic art, it’s no surprise that the most expensive vases in the world are Chinese.

Ming dynasty vase – over US $10 million

The Ming dynasty ruled China from 1368 to 1644. That era in Chinese history saw the creation of a startling amount of carved lacquerwares, glazed porcelain wares, embroidered silks and works of art in a variety of other materials. The Empire of the Great Ming also produced a great number of forgeries designed to part unsuspecting purchasers from their wealth. This was such a problem, in fact, that guides were printed to help detect such forgery. We can be sure, then, that this vase is quite authentic.

Hailing from the time of Hongwu, the founder of the Ming dynasty, the expensive vase was most recently purchased at auction by Steve Wynn. The Las Vegas casino owner and insatiable art collector is often criticized by the art community for paying high prices for second-rate pieces, but this purchase is certainly an exception. The 14th century vase is decorated in copper red scrolling flowers and is, well preserved as it is, quite rare.

Mr. Wynn purchased the expensive vase at the Christie’s Imperial Sale in Hong Kong for 78,520,000 Hong Kong dollars. Rather than keep it locked away in his private collection, however, he returned the vase to China by donating it to a Macau museum.

Qianlong vase – over US $80 million

The Qing dynasty succeeded the Ming dynasty and ruled China until 1911. The Qianlong Emperor became the fifth emperor of the Qing dynasty in 1736 and, during his time in power, imperial supervisor Tang Ying authored an illustrated memoir called “Twenty Illustrations of the Manufacture of Porcelain.”

This 18th-century porcelain vase was inherited by a mother and son who, if reports are to be believed, have gone into hiding due to the £12 million in taxes they will be expected to pay after the vase, only expected to sell for £1.2 million, reached an amazing £53 million at auction.

The buyer was a wealthy Chinese industrialist and collector of antiquities.


Most Expensive Auctions in Asia
by Nishu Kakka

1. Meiyintang Flower Vase
Auction House: Sothey’s

Price: $21.6 Million

Reverberating the glorious history of imperial China, a Meiyintang flower vase that dates back to the 15th century made headlines in the month of October last year, when this gorgeous ceramic was sold for a whopping $21.6 million. This auction event organized by Sotheby’s took place in Hong Kong and is hailed as one of the most expensive auctions in Asia. The Meiyintang flower vase was considered to be one of the most expensive auction items at the event and thus attracted quite a fierce bidding. Originally claimed from the collection of Swiss businessman Stephen Zuellig, the rare Chinese vase features remarkable work in white and blue colors, while similar artistic creation can even be witnessed at the Swiss businessman Stephen Zuellig, thus making the vase all the more exotic.



2. Cloisonné Enamel Double Crane Censers
Auction House: Christie’s International

Price: $16.7 Million

Dating back to the 18th century from the Yongzheng period (1723-1735) is one of the most fascinating creations of enamel sculptures called, Cloisonné Enamel Double Crane Censers. This magnificent remnant of imperial China caused quite a bit of a stir last year, when this breathtaking pair of imperial crane statues was auctioned off for a staggering $16.7 million. This upscale auction event was organized by Christie’s International and showcased some of the most expensive auction items for the high profile attendees. The Cloisonné Enamel Double Crane Censers was purchased by Hong Kong based billionaire, Joseph Lau. The fascinating enamel sculpture was commissioned by Emperor Qialong of Hongkong and the artifact remained in his personal collection. The sculpture depicts two pairs of enamel cranes standing on pedestals that had been fashioned from champlevé and cloisonné enamel rock.



4. 1968 Zao Wou-ki Painting ‘10.1.68’
Auction House: Sotheby’s

Price: $8.8 Million

Considered to be one of the greatest art masters of the modern times, Zao Wou-ki, came into the spotlight yet again, when his 1968 work, ’10.1.68’ was auctioned off for $8.8 million in the month of October last year. Put up for auction by Sotheby’s, the painting is a part of a collection of modern and contemporary Asian artwork that attracted undivided attention of the bidders. With the significant sale of the Zao Wou-ki painting, Sotheby’s managed to end the event with a total lot of $83 million, thus making it one of the most expensive auctions in Asia. The abstract painting which expected to fetch up to $4.5 million along with other artwork from Zao is believed by many experts to reach a remarkable value of $50 million in the next ten years.



Auction houses are becoming fatter and fatter!

 

[Jlaw]

Jean-Francois Hebert, who runs Fontainebleau Castle, said, "We think they were very determined, knew exactly what they were looking for and worked in a very professional manner."

smells like an inside job. Wonder if JF Herbert know anything about it?

 

[TaiShang]

I hope the artifacts will end up where they truly belong to: China.