Ancient looted Chinese bronze sells for double expected price at British auction house
Rare 3,000-year-old artefact lifted from Summer Palaces fetches more than US$580,000 in sale condemned by Chinese authorities
A rare 3,000-year-old bronze vessel looted by a British soldier from an imperial palace in Beijing has fetched £410,000 (US$581,600), more than double the estimated value at auction.
The vessel, referred to as a Tiger Ying because of its tiger decorations, was auctioned as planned at Canterbury Auction Galleries in the southeast of England on Wednesday despite calls from the Chinese government to halt the sale.
The water vessel, which dates back to the Western Zhou dynasty (1047-772BC), is believed to be one of only seven similar archaic vessels to exist, five of which are held in museums.
The identity of the buyer has remained unknown.
The Chinese government had denounced the sale and called for a boycott, but the local news portal KentOnline reported that it had sparked keen bidding especially from Chinese buyers.
