Return of Horse Head Captivates Nation, but This Returned Artifact Is Pricier and Less Known

As the saying goes, 'When a nation is weak, its cultural relics are lost; when the nation is strong, its culture thrives.' Recently, after 160 years, the 'Garden of Gardens,' the Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan), welcomed back an important overseas relic—the bronze horse head sculpture. According to reports, the bronze horse head was cast during the Qianlong reign and was one of the main components of the twelve zodiac bronze fountain heads outside the Hall of National Peace (Haiyantang) in the Qing dynasty's Old Summer Palace. The sculpture blends Eastern and Western artistic concepts and design styles, using techniques such as separate casting, lost-wax casting, and riveting. It is an extraordinary ancient Chinese artwork. Later, it was lost overseas along with the other eleven zodiac bronze heads. In 2007, the bronze horse head appeared at auction and was purchased for 69.1 million Hong Kong dollars by renowned Hong Kong and Macao entrepreneur and patriot Stanley Ho. Ho later decided to donate the horse head to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, and its recent official return has drawn nationwide attention.

In fact, as an ancient civilization with five thousand years of history, countless cultural relics have been scattered overseas. Some are well-known, while others remain obscure. But as descendants of the dragon, we all hope these symbols of Chinese civilization can return to their homeland. Many people have worked hard for the return of these relics, and the story recounted here is equally worth remembering.

Recently, during my travels in Macao, I stayed at the famous Wynn Palace hotel. In the hotel's atrium, I saw a set of exquisite Chinese Qing dynasty porcelain artifacts called the 'Buckler Duke Vases.' According to the introduction, they were made in 1750, the fifteenth year of the Qianlong reign. The set consists of four tall, beautifully decorated vases, and their extraordinary quality is evident from afar.

Since these are Chinese porcelains, why are they called the 'Buckler Duke Vases'? It turns out that, like the horse head, these artifacts were once important domestic relics but were lost overseas during the decline of the Qing dynasty. I didn't investigate exactly how they left the country, but after arriving overseas, they were collected by the Duchess of Buckler, hence the name 'Buckler Duke Vases.'

I noticed that after being lost overseas, the original owner, the Duchess of Buckler, had these porcelains reworked. Without damaging the original artistic design, she added some gilding, giving them an even more regal appearance. This enhancement actually added to the artifacts' beauty.

Some readers might ask: Since the Duchess of Buckler collected them, how did they end up back in Macao? It turns out that for some unknown reason, these artifacts appeared at auction in 2011. Later, they were purchased by the owner of Wynn Palace and brought to Macao, where they are displayed in the hotel's atrium.

It is said that the auction price was over 17 million US dollars, which converted to over 100 million RMB—a sky-high price for an artifact. Although this is just a significant decorative piece for the Wynn Palace hotel—a $4 billion investment—for the Chinese people, the return of such an important artifact to the country is profoundly meaningful.

The hotel has very strict security measures for this artifact. Infrared monitoring surrounds it; any breach of the infrared line triggers an immediate alarm, and hotel security personnel can arrive within a very short time.

I noticed that at Wynn Palace, there are many such artworks like the Buckler Duke Vases. Some are ancient relics, some are modern masterpieces; some are porcelain, some are bronze, and others are contemporary stainless steel sculptures.

Even though the owner of Wynn Palace is not Chinese, bringing these relics back to China is a meritorious deed, as it cost real money. Moreover, these artifacts are exceptionally exquisite, featuring traditional Chinese patterns such as endless knots, auspicious clouds, flowers, birds, fish, insects, and Buddhist elements. They possess not only high artistic value but also great cultural significance. Merely their auction price was higher than that of the horse head (69.1 million HKD), and there are only two similar artifacts in the world—the other is housed in Buckingham Palace in the UK. It can be said that its value and significance are no less than those of the horse head. What do you think?