Bronze Statue of Horse Head Finally back to Yuanmingyuan
爱国企业家捐圆明园马首 百年回归之路画上满意句号
One of the most discussed cultural relics lost in the 1860s during the Second Opium War is finally home. Macau billionaire and philanthropist Stanley Ho purchased one of the famous cultural relics from an auction house in Hong Kong in 2007 and donated it to Yuanmingyuan before celebrations of the 20th anniversary of Macau’s return to China.
1860年第2次鸦片战争期间丢失海外、备受重视的兽首文物总算回家了。澳门爱国企业家何鸿燊于2007年在香港出资从拍卖行购回，值此澳门回归祖国20周年之际，马首被捐献回归圆明园。
英语原文
The bronze statue of horse head in Yuanmingyuan, an imperial garden in Beijing，was looted by the allied forces of eight countries including the UK and France.
Designed by Italian Giuseppe Castiglione, the statue is a combination of eastern and western art concepts and design styles.
It was cast and shaped by the lost-wax method by the palace craftsman in the 18th century.
There were originally 12 bronze statues in Yu-anmingyuan. Together they comprised of a water fountain in the gar-den.
The bronze statues re-appeared in public sight starting the 1980s in various auction events. Since then Chinese philanthropists and patriots have been buying them back.
Currently seven of the animal heads have returned to China and the horse head is the first one to have been re-turned to Yuanmingyuan.
汉语对照
坐落于北京的清代皇家园林圆明园马首铜像，其时惨遭包含英法在内的八国联军抢掠焚毁。马首由意大利人郎世宁规划，交融了东西方艺术理念与规划风格，由17世纪时期的宫殿匠师精工制造，以精粹红铜为材、颜色深重厚重。其时总共制作了12座兽首铜像，每一座铜像代表了我国十二生肖中的一个动物，别离坐落于圆明园的喷水池旁。20世纪80年代以来，圆明园兽首丢失文物连续现身海外，我国爱国企业家相继出资购回。至此，圆明园7尊兽首现已回归祖国，马首铜像是首尊回到圆明园保藏的兽首。
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