Posted on 02/20/2018 1:40:25 AM PST by Simon Green
Chinese authorities are livid over the theft of a thumb from a 2,000-year-old terracotta warrior on loan to a US museum, calling for the perpetrator to be "severely" punished.
The ancient statue is valued at $4.5 million and considered a "priceless part of China's cultural heritage." It was on display at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute when the vandalism took place.
"We call on the United States to severely punish those who have done [this]," Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relic Exchange Center's director told the Beijing Youth Daily, a state-run Chinese newspaper.
The warrior statues date back to 209 B.C., when the Qin Dynasty ruled China. The life-size statues were constructed to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. Now a UN world heritage site, they were discovered by a Chinese farmer in 1974 in Shaanxi province, according to the Franklin Institute's exhibit page.
Delaware-resident Michael Rohana was arrested last week, US officials said, accused of stealing the thumb in December during an ugly sweater party hosted by the museum.
During the event, Rohana and a few of his friends entered the closed off terracotta warrior exhibit, and after his friends left, Rohana took a selfie with one of the statues, according to surveillance footage and court documents.
He then put his hand on the left hand of one of the warriors and snapped something off, the documents said. Rohana pocketed the warrior's thumb and took it home with him to Delaware that evening.
A museum worker discovered the missing thumb on January 8, and the FBI Art Crime Unit began to investigate. Surveillance video helped lead the FBI to both the thumb and their suspect, Rohana.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
You make a good point. But to me that makes it that much more important to punish the idiot who set about damaging a surviving example of their cultural heritage.
I really don’t care about what the Chicom thugs think about their precious statutes.
The Chicoms are a regressive totalitarian regime. I really don’t think cultural exchanges are a good idea at this point.
Send the crap back to China. They have plenty of thumbs to chop off there.
I agree that the vandal/thief was a bum and that the actions of Mao or the Chinese do not justify his actions.
Just pointing out that China’s own actions dilutes their claim of priceless cultural value. Unless China wants to man up and denounce Mao and bury his statues.
They we will be more concerned with the rights of old pieces of stone.
—
No. It’s not an “old piece of stone.” It’s a priceless work of art and cultural artifact. The POS who damaged it should spend a year in jail, be made to pay for every cent it takes to fix the thing and apologize to the Chinese people.
And his cell phone should be taken away until he grows up (which will probably be never, based on his behavior).
It is the amount of them, marching in formation, which makes them so unique and beloved. But I think the Chicoms are in no position to whine about theft!
Good thing they didn’t bring the statues to Durham.
According to slaveryinjustice.wordpress.com:
"Slaves, a sad group of people in the ancient world, occupied a large portion of the population in ancient China since 2,100 BC, when Xia Dynasty started. Slavery society last for about 1,800 years in China, with minor groups of slaves existed to 1950s in remote mountain areas in China."
Video helps finger thumb thief.
Thousands of years of pilfering by crummy tourists have made a mess of the once Great Pyramids.
For once I agree with the Chinese!!!
No.
SNIP
You'll learn.......
“I didn’t know Ricotta had fingers.
This whole things smells cheesy.
sorry...”
It was close to the Italian exhibit. THat section has a really statue of the goddess Manicotti and one for Lasagna as well.
Those two are honored as they provided food for Rome during a famine.
Absolutely agree. These are historic Chinese national treasures. The idiot who did this gives us a bad name. Even more so than college basketball players shoplifting. No freaking respect.
Yes. For once I agree with China on something. I am truly fed up with anybody destroying anything related to ancient art. Throw the book at him and reattach the thumb as perfectly as possible.
stealing the thumb in December during an ugly sweater party hosted by the museum.
“A museum worker discovered the missing thumb on January 8, and the FBI Art Crime Unit began to investigate. Surveillance video helped lead the FBI to both the thumb and their suspect, Rohana.”
Perhaps this is why the FBI couldn’t follow up on the Florida school shooter who was reported to them 3 days prior.
“Ferals...”
My guess was a drunk homosexual.
Indeed, they would. Here's a view from Left Field on how the Chinese regime treats its Muslims.
For being priceless they sure seem to have a lot of them.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.