Chinese lawyers vow to carry on despite French court rule on looted bronzes

The court ruling said the APACE was not entitled to file the motion because it did not have direct links with the two bronze sculptures.

The bronze rabbit and rat heads were among 12 animal head sculptures that formed the zodiacal clepsydra decorating the Calm Sea Pavilion in the Old Summer Palace of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795).

They were looted when the palace was burned down by Anglo-French allied forces during the Second Opium War in 1860.

The Global Aixinjueluo Family Clan, a civil society registered in Hong Kong, had agreed to be the plaintiff but it was also not qualified according to French laws. Aixinjueluo is the clan name of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

Since the motion for the injunction was rejected, the Chinese lawyers will "make every effort" to halt the auction at the Christie's, Li said. But he refused to elaborate on what they would do.

"If they were sold, we would start legal proceedings against the buyer," he added.