CHINESE RABBIT CHINESE RAT

On Feb 23, Christie's International in Paris will begin a much-hyped three-day auction of furniture and art from the various homes of Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge. To give potential American bidders a close look, last year Christie's shipped some of the choicer items for a brief display at its New York showroom.

A pair of bronze animal heads, a rabbit and a rat, that were once part of the famous zodiac fountain clock at Beijing's imperial Summer Palace. In 1860 the palace was looted and burned by French and English troops, the fountain clock destroyed and its brass animal heads, which were water spouts representing beasts in the Chinese zodiac, were scattered.

Chinese foreign ministry is asking Saint Laurent's estate, which is directed by Berge, to return the heads. Christie's has replied that the heads both have a long, well documented ownership history, and of course they left China long before 1970, the year that's increasingly accepted as a cut off for repatriation claims.

Let's see it from the animal's point of view. Well in Chinese horosscopes, rat's are
Smart, Magnetic, Well-liked, Affable, Quick-witted, Surreptitious, Selfish, Protective, Calculating. Rats think Rabbits are boring. Rabbits love to be out and about. You will only frustrate each other. Rabbits are very ambitious and can be quite crafty in their dealings with others. Emotional and Passionate the consume themselves doing what they Love. Rabbits get depressed if Home and Enviroment do not contain the necessary things to make them feel comfortable.

By the way Yves Saint Laurent was a Rat!