A Paris court has rejected Beijing’s bid to stop two bronze sculptures from being auctioned off with the art collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, Reuters reported. APACE, an association representing Chinese cultural and heritage interests, filed an appeal to have the sale blocked, but the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris rejected it. The court also ordered APACE to pay auctioneers Christie’s and Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent’s former business manager and companion, US$1,274 each in legal costs. The two sculptures, depicting the head of a rat and the head of a rabbit, were taken from the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) in Beijing when it was burned down by invading French and British forces in 1860. They were later acquired by Saint Laurent and Berge.
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