Guardian from the Five Dynasties Tomb

Guardian from the Five Dynasties Tomb

The 10th century Five Dynasties Tomb of Wang Chuzhi, in western Xiyanchuan Village, Hebei Province had been undisturbed from the time of Wang Chuzhi's death in 923 CE until its rediscovery in 1980.

In summer 1994, thieves used dynamite to blast their way into the inner sanctum. Within the tomb, several life-size wall panels were encountered depicting courtier musicians, among 10 relief sculptures and wall paintings.

After the break in, archaeologists conducted salvage excavations in 1995, documenting the colour palette and dimensions of the voids left by the removal of the panels – information crucial to establishing that this wall panel recovered later had come from Wang Chuzhi's tomb.

In March 2000, the relief was offered for sale at Christie's in New York on consignment from M&C Gallery in Hong Kong, with an estimated value of USD $400,000 to $500,000. The relief was seized by U.S. Customs agents before its sale based upon evidence provided by Chinese archaeologists and cultural officials strongly suggesting it was one of those missing from Wang Chuzhi's tomb. The tomb was a protected cultural monument and thus state property.

In May 2001, US authorities filed a civil forfeiture action in federal court in New York and returned the relief to China. The panel now resides in the National Museum of China, Beijing.

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Funerary Object – coffins, mummy portraits, grave goods

Architecture – antefixes, doors, sconces, friezes

Chinese

Christie's (NYC)

China

Damien Huffer

Jason Felch