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“The Chinese statue” (Publication, 1980)

Year

1980

Text

Archer, Jeffrey. The Chinese statue. In : Archer, Jeffrey. A quiver full of arrow. (London : Hodder & Stoughton, 1980).
http://biblioteca.mygeocom.com/wp-content/uploads/filebase/A/Archer%20Jeffrey/Jeffrey%20
Archer%20-%20A%20Quiver%20Full%20Of%20Arrows.pdf.
http://movies-and-books-world.blogspot.ch/2013/05/the-chinese-statue-by-jeffrey-archer.html. (Arch1)

Type

Publication

Contributors (1)

Archer, Jeffrey  (London 1940-) : Schriftsteller, Dramatiker, Politiker

Subjects

Literature : Occident : Great Britain : Prose

Chronology Entries (1)

# Year Text Linked Data
1 1980 Archer, Jeffrey. The Chinese statue [ID D32377].
Sir Alexander Heathcote had an appreciation of Ming dynasty art although he wasn't fortunate enough to have any of it in his private collection. When he was made the British Ambassador to China at the time of Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi by Prime Minister Gladstone he, quite by chance, came across a tiny statute of the Emperor Kung. It was in the possession of an aging and impoverished craftsman in a small village fifty miles from Peking, and had been treasured for generations. When Sir Alexander carelessly spoke his thoughts aloud that he would like to own such a thing, it immediately placed the poor craftsman under an obligation to give it as a gift. Feeling terribly guilty for his undiplomatic blunder, Sir Alexander felt equally obliged to reciprocate with a wonderful gift for the Chinaman. Generous to the last, the craftsman pointed out that the statue of the Emperor Kung had no base but he selected an ornate one from a box of bases used for his own artwork and applied it so that Sir Alexander could stand the statue on display for all his friends to admire. Several generations later, the statue finds its way into the auction room of Sotheby's in London.