Customs officers in Beijing have stopped 50 Thangka religious
paintings and other cultural relics from being smuggled abroad
through air express.
Sources with customs said half of the Thangka pieces were made
before 1959, and are classified by experts as precious cultural
relics forbidden from export.
Such a large seizure has never occurred before, authorities
said.
Thangka is a kind of scroll painting mounted on colorful satin,
and is symbolic of Buddhism in the teaching of Tibetan
Buddhism.
The Thangka pieces seized this month were destined for the
United States, officials indicated. The rest were likely headed to
Japan, including sycee (silver ingots), a wooden ruler, a wooden
ladle and a copper spoon.
All were entrusted to express-delivery companies in the name of
individuals who authorities say planned to smuggle the objects
abroad by air.
Zhao, a customs officer who chose only to give his surname, was
quoted as saying the Thangka scrolls were stored in a paper box
when seized.
They were 1-meter wide, and between 1.2-1.5 meters long, and
quite colorful, Zhao said.
To make Thangka, one needs a type of paint made from opaque
minerals and plants. With some animal tissue and cattle bile added,
the special paint can enable colors to remain vivid for thousands
of years.
The smuggling case is still being investigated.
(China Daily September 30, 2003)