Money

Family's bitter fight over rights to priceless jade

By Zhang Yan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-11 07:55

The grandchildren of the former chief of education in the Republic of China are fighting over about 1,000 pieces of jade and his collections of cultural relics at the city's higher court on Monday.

Fu Zengxiang was a famous collector of Chinese artifacts who served as the chief of education and librarian of the National Palace Museum in the Republic of China.

Fu's granddaughter Yunian, the daughter of Fu's eldest son by his wife Wang, is suing Fu's grandson Xinian, the son of the youngest son of Wang, for a share of the valuable artifacts.

According to a report in Beijing Youth Daily, Fu Yunian accuses her sisters and brothers-in-law of concealing property, which she claims seriously violates their legal property inheritance right.

Fu Yannian, the brother of Fu Yunian, told METRO by phone after the hearing, that his uncle Fu Zhongmo and his brother-in-law Fu Xinian, concealed 12,000 pieces of their grandfather's heritage, including 1,000 pieces of archaic jades, famous calligraphy and paintings, bronze and jade appliances, antiques and gold volumes.

"We want the city higher court to designate experts from the heritage administration to carefully investigate the involved heritage and make a clear inventory of the items, then make a fair judgment regarding the division of our grandfather's property, " he said.

In 1971 the Xicheng district government began to return Fu family property confiscated during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76). A total of 17,885 pieces, including famous calligraphy and paintings, jade and bronze articles, antiques and hardwood furniture, were all returned by 1989, according to City No 1 Intermediate Court.

Of the 17,885 pieces, 1,000 were jade artifacts, among which, 142 pieces were identified as priceless Furutama, the court said.

In 2004, at a Hanhai Autumn auction held by Fu Xinian, a jade dragon-shaped hook was sold for 2.53 million yuan, and a jade pendant was sold for 1.32 million yuan.

Fu Xinian is a member of the National Heritage Appreciation Committee, and his father once worked as the expert of archaic jades from State heritage administration.

"Before my grandfather died, he had already divided his property between my father and uncle, and the jade articles returned after the Cultural Revolution belonged to my father," he said.

"In addition, the confiscated and returned property all belonged to my father according to the property list. Fu Yunian doesn't have any evidence to prove the returned property was grandfather's heritage."

In 2005, Fu Yunian took the case to City No 1 Intermediate Court demanding that the returned heritage, including the 1,000 pieces of archaic jades be divided between the two families equally.

Last year, the City No 1 Intermediate Court ruled that among the 17,885 pieces of returned antiquities, only 50 pieces, including 40 seals, could be identified as definitely Fu's heritage, and that these should be shared by his descendents. The court rejected the demand that the 1,000 pieces of archaic jades be divided as well.