BEIJING - A Chinese antique collector said on Monday that he was the winning bidder for two bronze sculptures at a Paris auction last week, but he had no intention paying for the controversial treasures looted from Beijing.
The two sculptures, heads of a rat and a rabbit, were from the estate of Yves Saint Laurent and sold for 15 million euros each ($20 million) to a telephone bidder during the auction of the late designer's art collection.
But Cai Mingchao, an adviser to the National Treasures Fund that seeks to retrieve looted treasures, said no money would change hands for the relics stolen from Beijing's Imperial Summer Palace, which was razed in 1860 by French and British forces.
Reading a brief statement, Cai told a news conference that his bid was a patriotic act.
"I think any Chinese person would have stood up at that moment. It was just that the opportunity came to me. I was merely fulfilling my responsibilities."
Cai, who is also the head of a Chinese auction house, hit the headlines in 2006 when he paid 116 million Hong Kong dollars (14.95 million dollars) for a Ming dynasty Shakyamuni Buddha bronze stature at a Sotheby's auction in Hong Kong.
groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.china/browse_thread/thread/a2083baa2df5306a/fc9f809dd7e5b1e8?lnk=raot&pli=1
Source: Reuters
圆明园兔、鼠首２月２５日在巴黎被所谓"神秘买家"以电话委托的方式拍下后，"神秘买家"的身份一直是个谜团。
３月２日，中华抢救 流失海外文物专项基金在新闻发布会上对外宣布，该基金收藏顾问蔡铭超通过电话委托的方式参与了圆明园兔、鼠首在法国巴黎的拍卖，并成为了最后竞拍者。2月25日他在法国巴黎佳士得拍卖会上以3149.12万欧元竞得圆明园鼠首和兔首。
蔡铭超表示：“作为一个中国人，在这种时刻都应该站出来，发出我们的声音。但是，这个款我不能付。”
蔡明超是厦门心和艺术公司总经理，同時是一個流失海外文物組織的顧問。２００６年１０月７日，在香港苏富比"佛华普照 --重要明初鎏金铜佛"专场拍卖会上，蔡铭超以１.１６亿港币的价格拍下绝世铜佛--明永乐释迦牟尼坐像，他未有將佛像捐給國家。
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