China Condemns Auctioning of 'Illegally Discharged Artifact' by UK

The rare bronze water vessel, which is due to be auctioned in the UK on April 11 by Canterbury Auction Galleries, was ransacked from the Imperial Gardens in Beijing over 100 years ago, during the Second Opium War.

It has an estimated value of up to US$226,000 and is known as a Tiger Ying.

The Chinese State Administration of Cultural Heritage has condemned the auctioning of the seized artifact in the UK and said the auction should be boycotted.

READ MORE: Chinese Netizens Call for Return of Stolen Ancient Vessel Set for Auction in UK

On April 10, China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage said it “strongly opposes and condemns Canterbury Auction Galleries’ insistence on auctioning the suspected illegally discharged cultural artifact despite solemn protest from China and conducting commercial hype in the name of cultural relics of wartime looting.”

It also said that it doesn’t encourage Chinese buyers to take part in the auction to recover the country’s artifact.

A spokesman for Canterbury Auction Galleries told the Reuters news agency that the item will be auctioned as scheduled on April 11 despite concerns from China.