China seeks return of art looted in 1860

BEIJING, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- The Chinese government says that two bronze sculptures up for sale at Christie's were stolen during the Second Opium War in 1860.

The government has assembled a team of 81 lawyers to try to stop the auction of the sculptures this month at Christie's in Paris, Xinhua, the official Chinese government news agency, reported. They now belong to the Pierre Berge-Yves St. Laurent Foundation.

The sculptures, the heads of a rabbit and a rat, were cast during the Qing or Manchu Dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1911. They were in the Imperial Summer Palace outside Beijing, which was burned by an Anglo-French military force, the government says.

Pierre Berge, St. Laurent's lifelong friend and business partner and sometime romantic partner, put the sculptures up for auction. They are expected to sell for as much as $10 million each.

Liu Yang, one of the lawyers assigned to the case, told Xinhua that the team has written the auction house and Berge seeking to stop the auction. Berge was also asked to return the sculptures.

If Berge fails to cooperate, China may sue him, Liu said.