Rat head or into the National Museum

On the afternoon of the 16th, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage released the news that the French Pino family announced in Beijing that they would donate to the Chinese Yuanmingyuan Yuanmingyuan and the head of the rabbit. The Yuanmingyuan Academy experts said that this is the most significant, highest-priced, and most influential Yuanmingyuan cultural relic ever returned. After the return of the rat head and rabbit head, it is likely to enter the National Museum.

The Chinese side has positively evaluated the introduction of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the donation of the rat head and rabbit head for the two Zodiac bronze statues that were lost in Beijing’s Yuanmingyuan. In 2009, these two beastly heads were auctioned in Paris, France, which aroused the attention and condemnation of the international community. China also clearly expressed its opposition.

Afterwards, the Pino family purchased the two beasts from the original holders of the cultural relics and indicated to China the willingness to donate without compensation. The Chinese side has given a positive assessment of this move and believes that this willingness is in line with the principled spirit of the International Convention for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, is a friendly expression to the Chinese people, and is also conducive to the return of more Chinese cultural relics. This willingness to donate reflects the support of the Pinoau family for the protection of Chinese cultural heritage. It also reflects the international community’s recognition of the cultural heritage’s return to its original country’s values.

It is expected that in the afternoon of the second half of the year, the official micro-blog of the “Heritage World” magazine will be the first to send messages that the beasts will be sent back without compensation. According to reports, at 11 a.m. on the 26th, Song Xinchao, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and Duan Yong, director of the museum and social relics department, met with Francois-Henri Pino, chairman and chief executive officer of the French Kaiyun Group, in Beijing. The Pino family stated that it will donate to the Chinese government the bronze statues of the heads and rabbits in the twelve waters of Yuanmingyuan that have been lost overseas.

Last night, the reporter contacted Zhu Wei, editor-in-chief of the “Animal World” magazine. He said that according to the exchanges between the two sides at the scene, the bronze statues of rats and rabbits are expected to return home in the second half of this year.

It is reported that François Henri Pino is one of the top five wealthiest French luxury tycoons and one of the most influential collectors in the world. He has two private art galleries and more than 3,000 collectors. . Personal assets are said to exceed 10 billion U.S. dollars. His family owns or controls luxury goods groups, top wineries, media and Christie’s auction houses.

Zhu Wei, who may be in the editor of the National Museum of Cultural Relics, said that at present, industry insiders in the cultural heritage industry have analyzed that after the return of the rat and rabbit heads, it is likely that they will be able to enter the national museum with strong strength.

It is known to the public that in the spring of 2000, the Poly Art Museum passed auctions and rescued the bronze statue of the first cow in the Yuanmingyuan, bronze statue of the tiger and the bronze statue of the monkey head. In 2003, Macao businesswomen were presented with bronze statues of pigs and presented to the Poly Art Museum. Then, after the return of the mouse and rabbit heads, is it also expected to enter the Poly Art Museum and meet with several other beastly heads?

On the evening of the 16th, the staff of the Poly Art Museum stated that he had already paid attention to the news of the return of the two beastly heads, but whether they would “fight for” the beast-heads to the relevant state agencies would not be able to reply. "Museum leaders need to conduct research and may also ask senior management of Poly Group."