Asia Week auction, WTF17: is a ‘Tibeto-Chinese’ Bodhisattva one from Chinese-occupied Tibet?

Robert R. Bigler has a ‘Tibeto-Chinese‘ bronze Bodhisattva.

Was it acquired in Tibet, or in China, or in Chinese-occupied Tibet?

Under Chinese rule, ‘plundered statues and other objects from the monasteries’ have been carried away by the truck-load; ‘many trucks carr[ied] away larger-than-human-sized statues that had been plundered from the monasteries’ in some places, ‘smaller statues’ in others.

Was it acquired earlier? And would that make a difference?

In one fell swoop on the Zijing Monastery in 1904, British forces looted ‘[m]ore than 1,000 gilded statues of Buddha’, embroidered satins and other gold, silver and bronze artefacts.

Why doesn’t Dr. Bigler reassure his clients with evidence that none of his stock is a blood antique?

A gilt bronze image of a bodhisattva. Tibeto-Chinese, Ming Dynasty, 15th Century. Height: 5.25 inches (13.3 cm).

Tags: Asia Week, auction, China, Tibet, Tibeto-Chinese