Cai Mingchao

Cai told Yang his participation in the bidding was designed to make trouble and stop the sale, which was part of a collection owned by the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Berge.

Cai also expressed his gratitude to Berge for keeping the two heads in good condition.

"It was pity to do what I did, but I would have had regrets if I hadn't done so," he said.

Cai said it was improper to blame China for his behavior. The head of China's cultural heritage bureau denied government involvement in the bidding for the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) bronze rabbit and rat heads.

"The bidding was completely personal," said Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

Shan said the cultural heritage department had no idea who was behind the winning offer until the bidder identified himself on March 2.

China tried to dissuade Christie's from auctioning the two fountain heads, which were looted from the Old Summer Palace by Anglo-French forces in 1860. But the efforts failed.

In response to the sale, China's cultural heritage authorities ordered strict checks of all exports and imports by Christie's in China.

The auction triggered wide protest in China. But Christie's argued that the Pierre Berge-Yves Saint Laurent Foundation held legal ownership of the fountain heads. Berge said he would keep the bronzes if Cai failed to complete the purchase.

(Shanghai Daily March 18, 2009)