Part 11/15:
The auction scene itself has evolved, with a new generation of younger Chinese collectors driven by national pride to repatriate and display cultural treasures within China. Auctioneers describe a market where Chinese clients, often under 13 or in their teens, actively seek to bring these artifacts home, fueling a rising movement for cultural sovereignty. High-profile items, such as a 19th-century silver flask stolen from China’s Summer Palace, remain controversial, yet the collective political will seems to be shifting toward greater repatriation.