China’s Stolen Treasures

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China's Stolen Treasures: A Question of Ownership

China's Stolen Treasures

A Question of Ownership

BBC Radio 4 - China's Stolen Treasures, A Question of Ownership

Noah Charney explores ownership, cultural heritage and identity in China today.

Noah Charney investigates how the looting of Chinese antiquities by Europeans in the 19th century has shaped questions of ownership, cultural heritage and identity in China today.

American collector Christopher Bruckner opens the door to his basement. It is packed with Chinese antiquities of the highest quality, many of them once the property of emperors and some of which, he admits, were stolen from the Old Summer Palace in 1860. It turns out he was even offered three infamously looted Zodiac heads, though he declined. He has been courted by Chinese officials who wish to buy items from his collection in order to repatriate them. 	
 
In this final episode of China’s Stolen Treasures, Noah Charney looks at how the looting of Chinese antiquities in the 19th century has shaped questions of ownership, cultural heritage and identity in China today.
 
Noah explores the most pressing question of all - who should own a country’s cultural heritage? The answer is not straightforward. Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei argues that the current Chinese regime is not entitled to it. There is a strong undercurrent of nationalism to the Chinese re-acquisition of their cultural treasures in foreign hands. By bringing these pieces home, now that China is a wealthy, powerful nation, can they go some way to healing China's Century of Humiliation?
 
With artist Ai Weiwei, historian Liu Yang, art dealer William Chak, Christie’s specialist Kate Hunt, American art collector Christopher Bruckner, criminologist Emiline Smith, art investigator Arthur Brand, China expert Jasper Becker, Fitzwilliam Museum China curator James Lin, and art lawyer Georges Lederman.

Writer and Presenter - Dr Noah Charney
Producer - Caroline Finnigan
Executive Producer - Rosie Collyer
Researcher - Nadia Mehdi
China Producer - Coco Zhao
Sound Designers - David Smith and Tom Berry for Wardour Studios
Music Composer - Nicholas Alexander
Voice Over Artists - Bernard O'Sullivan and Oliver Zheng 

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