On February 7, the reporter learned from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage that China recently successfully recovered the stolen and lost Western Zhou Feng Xing Shuwei from the United States, ending its 40-year overseas wandering process. After the expert physical identification, and with the historical archives, rubbing data repeated comparison and verification, from the modeling style, decoration technology, inscription font, rust appearance, disability traces and other aspects of the comprehensive judgment, the Gui is Feng Xing Shu Gui original, for the national first-class cultural relics.
Late Western Zhou Dynasty bronze Feng Xing Shugui. Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
Feng Xing Shuwei was unearthed in 1978 in a late Western Zhou Dynasty bronze cellar in Famen Town, Fufeng County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, with a height of 18 cm, a diameter of 21 cm, a belly depth of 12 cm, and a weight of 6 kg. The belly drum, the mouth, the upper abdomen is decorated with a week of stealing curved patterns, the lower part of the abdomen is decorated with corrugated patterns, the three flat feet of the beast head are connected under the circle foot, and the upper end of both ears is decorated with the head of the beast with a curly nose, which is a typical bronze vessel shape of the Western Zhou Dynasty, with a concise and solemn style of the times.
The inner bottom of this gui is cast with an inscription of 3 lines and 18 characters (including 2 heavy texts) "Uncle Feng Xing is a Bo Ji Zun, and its children and grandchildren are used by Yongbao for ten thousand years", and the calligraphy art is exquisite. The craftsmanship reflects the high level of casting of Western Zhou bronzes. It was stolen in November 1984 and lost overseas.
Feng Xing Shu Gui insole inscription. Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
In January 2023, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage learned through the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom that Feng Xing Shuwei appeared in New York, USA, and immediately started the recovery procedure for lost cultural relics, and jointly guided the local cultural relics and public security departments to quickly collect and sort out relevant evidence, and at the same time fully communicated with the holder Raymond King and his mother.
When Raymond King and his mother learned about the artifacts, they decided to "do the right thing" and agreed to return the artifacts to China unconditionally. On November 11, 2023, with the authorization of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, Huang Ping, Consul General of the Consulate General of China in New York, received and temporarily stored Feng Xing Shuwei on behalf of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
On the afternoon of January 22, 2024, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the Consulate General of China in San Francisco jointly held a ceremony for the return of Raymond King and his mother's current residence in Portland, Oregon, USA. About 90 local citizens attended the ceremony.
Li Qun, Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said that the return of Feng Xing Shuwei is an important achievement in the implementation of the San Francisco consensus between the Chinese and American heads of state, which provides a positive example for promoting the return of more cultural relics to their countries of origin, and is also a vivid example of the friendly exchanges between the Chinese and American peoples.
Zhang Jianmin, China's consul general in San Francisco, said that the loss of overseas Chinese cultural relics carries the historical feelings and cultural memories of the Chinese people, and is an inseparable part of China's cultural heritage. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the return of Feng Xing Shuwei is an important achievement of cultural exchanges between the two countries, which will help strengthen the friendship between China and the United States and set an example for global cooperation in cultural heritage protection.
Feng Xing Shu Gui has an 18-character inscription on the inner bottom. Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.
China attaches great importance to the recovery and repatriation of lost cultural relics, actively participates, promotes and leads relevant international governance, and acceded to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property in 1989.
It is reported that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage has facilitated the return of more than 1,800 pieces (sets) of cultural relics and artworks to the motherland through international law enforcement cooperation, international civil litigation, diplomatic negotiations, negotiated donations, etc., stimulating the public's patriotic enthusiasm and strengthening cultural self-confidence. On January 14, 2009, China and the United States signed the first memorandum of understanding between China and the United States to prevent the illegal entry of Chinese cultural relics into the United States, and its validity period was extended for the third time from January 14 this year. The MoU is an important document for cooperation between China and the United States on cultural heritage, and has so far facilitated the return of 15 batches of 504 pieces (sets) of Chinese cultural relics and artworks to the motherland.
Reporter Zhang Jianlin.
Edited by Fan Yijing
Proofreading by Jun Liu.
Operations Editor: Liu Qianxian.