A The Chinese Statue Jeffrey Archer [born: 1940] jefirey Archer is a renowned English author and fo pe April 15, 1940 in London, England. He was edu somerset and Brasenose College, Oxford. After leavi the Greater London Council, and became an MP at invested heavily in a rmer politician, He was born cated at Wellington School in His first novel Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less (1976) was an instant success and saved Archer from bei ing legally declared bankrupt. Kane and Abel (1979) proved to be his best-selling work. His other books comprise The Prodigal Daughter (1982), First Among Equals (1984), As the Crow Flies (1991), The Eleventh Commandment (1998), Paths of Glory (2009) and Best Kept Secret (2013). Archer has worked as a charity fund-raiser for several trusts and charities. In 1987, he was accused in a libel case, found guilty of perjury in the 1987 trial and in 2001 he was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, His prison term served as &ninspiration for several of his short stories. In 2003, he was released from the jail after serving half of his sentence Today, Archer is a renowned best-selling author. The Chinese Statue is an interesting story taken from Jeffrey Archer’s collection of short stories, A Quiver Full of Arrows published in 1980. It is a story about a Howe Which was brought to London by Sir Alexander Heathcote from China, when tern® Posted there as an Ambassador. Each of Sir Alexander's! Hels kept the statue as an heirloom until his descendant, Alex had to sell it and in the process ®f doing so he found a surprising information about the statue. 2. Pror DEVELOPMENT The story begins in an auction room at Sotheby's for auctioning a Chinese Statue. MRChese starve : aeesol -» On one such journey, he came aTOus a statue of Emearem the possession of an aging craftsman. > Sir Alexander was wonderstruck by the beauty of the statue and unwi to him as a gift, following the old Chinese custom, which forbade one saying no to an honoured guest. 7 > Since the statue had no base, the craftsman selected an ornate base from his own collection and fixed the statue on it. | > Sir Alexander reciprocated the craftsman by getting a house built for him on the hill, where the craftsman had wished to live the rest of his life. > From Sir Alexander, the statue passed on to his heirs, who kept it safely as per his will. | > Alex Heathcote, Sir Alexander's great-great grandson, brought the statue tt Sotheby's to auction the family heirloom to settle his gambling debts. > Alex was surprised when he was told that the statue was fake and worth only seven hundred pounds. But he was told that the base was a g piece of art. » The narrator bought the statue for seven hundred and twenty guineas an American gentleman bought the base for twenty two thousand g Story in Detail auction house. It led to the excitement that usually precedes the masterpiece. The narrator studied the catalogue to find the details of art. He decided to do some research to discover what had caused th statue to find its way into the auction room after more than 2. The Narrator’s Discovery: The narrator found that Sir a British Ambassador to China, was the one who brought Sir Alexander was quite interested in the art of the Mi his appointment as Ambassador as an opportunity toOE nl — ty through their statues, paintings i and drawings, which he had Previoush syn hie to admire only in books, i pee peking. There, Sir Alexander chance, aiered the workshop to have a look were placed on the shelves from floor to be superbly executed by an experiey up with this discovery. He brought a statue ge been with his family for over geyeq generations. 4. The Statue of Emperor Kung: The craftsman passed the piece over to Sir Mlexander to study. The little ivory statue Was a fine example of Ming dynasty art. Iwas a statue of Emperor Kung. Sir Alexander felt confident that the statue was the work of the great Pen Q, who had been patronised by the Emperor. He was Sire that the statue must have been crafted around the turn of the 15th century, The statue's only ble mish was that its base was missing. Sir Alexander was so fascinated with the statue th fom uttering, ‘How 1 wish Nadition, if an honoured SH of his fellow men by + at he could not stop himself the piece was mine.’ According to the old Chinese “est requested something the giver would grow in the parting with it Following the Chi Mecided t9 Omer of th inese custom, but with a sad look on his face, the craftsman BIR the Chinese Statue to Sir Alexander, The erafteman went to a © room and opened a chest that contained a number of bases for his ates. He picked out a base which made a perfect fit. Sir Alexander took and thanked the craftsman. S sir Alexander's Reciprocity: The Mandarin told Sir Alexander that according to EE2l4 Chinese custom when a stranger has been generous, one must return the edness ™ithin the calendar year. Sir Alexander assessed the Ue worth of the id it came out to almost three years emolument for a Britis civil servant. Me an ei ja A der discovered that the craftsmar = ith the help from Mandarin, Sir connie eee Pe "M8 Lee, from the old and trusted Yung Shau family men. conse STATUE =ion 4 Sir Alexander accompanied by the Mandarin, set out t On reaching the craftsman’s workshop, Sir Alexander requested accompany him on a short journey. oi ae ‘They travelled for over two hours and reached the village of Ma Tien. they continued their journey on foot. They only stopped when they had ‘a newly completed small, white house of the most perfect proportions. Two stone _ their lips, guarded the front entra: lion dogs with their tongues hanging over Sir Alexander said, “A small, inadequate gift and my feeble attempt to repay mt d begged forgiveness as he knew it was in kind.” The craftsman fell to his knees an‘ forbidden for an artisan to accept gifts from a foreigner. The Mandarin explained to the craftsman that the Empress herself had sanctioned Sir Alexander's request, ‘A smile of joy came over the face of the craftsman. The three travellers then spent over an hour admiring the little house before returning to Ha Li Chuan. The two men thus parted, honour satisfied, and Sir Alexander rode to his Embassy that night contented that he had paid his debt 6. Sir Alexander’s Will: After completing his term in China, Sir Alexander retired | to his native place in Yorkshire. Sir Alexander wrote a long and detailed will, He | bequeathed the Chinese Statue to his first son requesting him to do the same) in order that the statue might always pass to the first son or daughter. He also made a provision that the statue was never to be disposed of unless the familys honour was at stake, 7. The Statue’s Auction: The statue remained with Sir Alexander’s heirs for 7 generations until his latest descendant, Alex Heathcote, forced upon tough times — due to reckless gambling, decided to sell it. He discovered to his shock that the statue was fake, only a copy of the original. However, the base of the statue was) ‘a genuine work. At the auction, the narrator bought the statue for seven hundred and twenty guineas. The base, however, was acquired by an American gentleman for twenty-two thousand guineas auctioneer: a person who conducts bidders: a person or a group that auctions by accepting bids and to pay an amount to buy somelil declairing goods sold. at an auction. murmurings: low or indistinct continuous catalogue: a complete list of ite sounds. people can look at and buy. —Fi SEES ge Si eo British multinational magnificent: extrem : GD pa that is one of the see See ely attractive and ; of fine and decorative art, Dien real estate and collectibles. Je iy: in an attractively unusual or aan 4 hioned manner. « joms:a valuable object that belonged fo a family for several generations, ction: a public sale in which goods or mu roperty are sold to the highest bidder. exact: precise hackney carriage: a carriage pulled by horses used as a taxi exacting: demanding a lot of effort and care about details. amateur: to do something for enjoyment and not as a professiona ent China: aucrat ir Mandarin: a b’ here, an interpreter and guide jade: a hard, typically greer sed in making ornaments and dismounted: got off tt ramshackle. bad condition and heeding to be repaired crammed: full of thing: enthralled: charmed chuckled: laughed quietly as a mark of satisfaction, in a packed beckoned: gave a signal using fingers or hand. wentable: more exciting compared to Something. ‘4: huge amount of something. out: moved with short light steps. Scampered Blemish: flaw. detract: undiplomatic: being or appeetne insensitive or tactless. inscrutable: impossible to understand or interpret. Rummaging: searching unsystematically and untidily through something, emolument: money paid to somebody for work he has done, especially to somebody who earns a lot of money. diligence: careful and thorough work or effort. hollow: an area that is lower than the surface ground. askew: crooked. mystified: confused. artisan: a person who does skilled work. sanctioned: granted. bequeathed: bestowed; gave in inheritance. jeopardy: a dangerous position. fascinated: attracted strong attention and interest. intestate: not having made a will before one dies. mettle: a person's ability to cope well with difficulties. doughty: brave and strong. meagre: small. roulette: a gambling game ball is dropped on to a with holes.reference to the statue of Emperor Kung © five hundred years was with the family craftsmen. When Sir Alexander Heathoot®, Yung Lee, it was this statue i fascinated by the beauty of the man and a craftsman himself, his desire to have it- According requested something, der Heathcote. heirloom to Sir Alexan re ‘ i ined i family of Sir Alexander for generations. This Chinese Statue remained in the ly d a were atest descendant, Alex Heathcote had to sell his family’s heirloom i ted by his reckless gambling. Alex believed that this ‘cial necessity crea! cut Sia t more than ten thousand Na _ oe statue would revive his fortune 45 he was sure pounds by selling it. But to his utter shock, the statue turned out to be fake and could get him only seven hundred and twenty guineas. However, the base of the statue, a genuine piece of art proved to be more valuable than the statue ‘and earned him twenty two thousand guineas. Thus, the Chinese Status, which formed the heirloom of two families, appears to be quite an apt title for the story. 5. Serrini The story, The Chinese Statue’ is set at two different locations and at two different time periods. In fact, the story follows the technique of story within a story, which ted fiction. In such a literary device, the outer story or the ‘ve much matter, and the bulk of work consists of one ‘called the core story, which is narrated by @ character is often some parallel between the two stories, and the ed to reveal the truth in the outer story: is also termed as nes frame story does not ‘or more complete stories in the outer story. There fiction of the core story is us In this story, the frame story involves the incident that happens at ‘Sotheby's auction house, where an auction of specimen number, Lot 103 of a delicate” piece of ivory is being made. The catalogue that the narrator studied, read that the statue had been purchased in Ha Li Chuan in 1871 and was ‘the ty of a gentleman’. That makes that narrator anxious to know the details al the statue and its owner and leads him to do some research, which forms” content of the core story.A saa which was at a distance ; Crust Heathcote was appointed a8 the British Ambassador in China during ee of Empress Tzu-Hsi. Sir Alexander Heathcote, who was interested pe nasty and its artefacts, once went to a village in Ha Li Chuan and ME xs a crafisman, who showed him an old statue of Emperor Kung, Si aime He got the statue from the 1 : craftsman as a gift and took it with him to este’ place in Yorkshire, after he finished his term in Chine ral : , father place mentioned in the story is the British Embassy's extensive ee in Peking, where Sir Alexander made a search to find out the real value me statue. After that Sir Alexander went along with the Mandarin and the “ranan, tothe hills above the village, Ha Li Chuan, Here, Sir Alexander gited “atiful house to the craftsman to repay him in kind for the statue the latter a gifted him. {i It was this statue, which remained for generations with the descendants of sir Alexander Heathcote, until his latest descendant, Alex Heathcote decided to elit, That is how the statue reached the Sotheby’s auction house, Sir Alexa: Heathcote SirAlexander Heathcote is the main character of the core story and the one whose fds are responsible for the development of the frame story. Physical Appearance and Personality Traits: Sir Alexander has been described @atall gentleman, six-foot-three and a quarter inches tall. He was a meticulous Md punctual man, who followed his daily routine holistically. He would get up at "0 o'lock every morning and join his wife for breakfast, which comprised one thiled ege, cooked for precisely four minutes and one cup of China tea, He would leave for office at exactly eight-twenty and arrive there at eight-fifty-nine. H Mould return in the evening exactly at six o'clock. Diplomatic Career: Unlike his father, who was a military General, Si MPP Acinlomatic career. He gradually rose from the position of a the Position of Deputy Ambassador and finally to a minister in hig *Petienced diplomat and had a strong judgement. When “redentials to the Empress Tzu-Hsi of China and she f office, he could judge from her body language Sir Alexander completed his three-year term.-Hsi awarded him the was because of his excellent service that the Empress Tzu ander of the Silver Star of China and Queen Victoria added the Knight Comm Royal Victorian Order (KCVO) to his long list of medals. Lover of Art: Sir Alexander was a lover of art, especially the art of the pointment to serve as Ming dynasty of China. That is why when he got an ap the British Ambassador in China, he was quitelHapaya He tHOUEBE that this appointment would give him an opportunity to minutely observe and admire the Ming art through their statues, paintings and drawings, which till then he had only read in the books, When Sir Alexander visited the Imperial credentials to the Empress, he was highly fascins of ivory and jade statues present there. It was perhaps art of Ming dynasty that led him into the countryside to look for more artefacts belonging to the Ming dynasty. As a true lover of art, Sir Alexander had the highest regard for the artists, who ereate sucls an art, So as a mark of respect, Sit Alexander left his servants and went to the craftsman workshop alone with only his Mandarin, who acted as a trans/ator and guide to him. For an hour, cr alexander admired the pieces of art displayed on the shelves and praised the craftsman for his skill, When the craftsman took him to his store, Sir vow upon row of beautiful miniatures that ‘Alexander was so excited to see ‘Seemed that he could have stayed there for a week. When Sir Alexander talked to the craftsman, his love and knowledge of the Ming dynasty was revealed to the artist. So the craftsman understood Sir ‘Alexander's taste and liking for art as with his family for over ‘and brought an old statue of Emperor Kung, which w Given generations. Sir Alexander was awestruck on seeing the beautiful piece of txt. He could make out that the statue must have been the handiwork of great artist Pen Q, who was patronised by the Emperor in 15th century Sir Alexander was so impressed with its beauty, that he could not control his desire of having it and uttered the same to the artist Though Sir Alexander regretted voicing his desire, he could not refuse to take the statue as a gift. This he did when he came to know of the old Chinese tradition, according to which the giver grew s fellow men when an honoured guest requested something. palace in China to present his ated by the magnificent collection this fascination for the in the eyes of hi rue gentleman, who had his own A True Gentleman: Sir Alexander was a ftsman’s workshop, the Mandarin way of expressing gratitude. When he left the cral found Sir Alexander in a terrible state. It seemed that he was quite disturbed at the thought of taking the craftsman’s heirloom without paying him anything in return. When the Mandarin told him about the Chinese custom that a stranger's generosity could be paid back within a calendar year, sir Alexander felt relieved. He made an extensive research in the library to find out the real worth of the Cena - WoRKnOOK ON ECHOES!ISC!SHORTSTORIES!in the hills, passing over 1 are to ie bord he Alexarider) a BE oo gteman’s desire, got a beautiful house constructed in the hills and gifted the Game to Yung Lee. a Visionary: Sir Alexander was a visionary. Before dying, he made a will sing precise details for the disposal of his estate including the statue of eror Kung, which was kept in his drawing room for all to see and admire. ie pequeathed the statue to his first son, requesting that it should be passed tp the eldest child in the generations to come, He also made a provision that it could not be sold unless the family’s honour was at stake. As per his will, the gatue remained with his family for more than hundred years. Yung Lee Yung Lee is the craftsman, who gifted the Chinese Statue to Sir Alexander Heathcote and which forms the link between the frame story and the core story. Physical Appearance and Occupation: When Yung Lee is introduced in the story, he is described as an old craftsman, without giving his name. He lived in the village Ha Li Chuan, at a distance of some fifty miles from Peking. When Sir Alexander met him for the first time, he was wearing a long, blue coolie robe and fiat black hat and had a jet black plaited pigtail. He had a humble, ramshackled wooden workshop, where a number of ivory and jade pieces of art were superbly displayed on the shelves, befitting an experienced craftsman. A Humble Artist: Yung Lee was a skilful artist, belonging to a family fraftsmen, who had been practising the art of sculpture-making for more than hundred years Yung Lee, too was a master artist. Sir Alexander was so by his art that he spent more than an hour just looking at his of sculpture, Yung Lee was a humble man, who not only welcomed Sir Biter, but also took him to his store at the back of the shop *alitiful miniature emperors and classical figures. He could ji howledge and love for the Ming dynasty and brought a s dynasty, which had been in his family for over seven later in the story, when Sir Alexander came back to Yt that he had come to repay his debt, Yung LeeWhen Sir Alexander wished to have the Chinese statue, he handed over to him, though with a heavy heart. Although the statue was his heirloom, he parted with it for he valued Chinese customs more than his ancestral heritage It was an old Chinese tradition to give away anything, requested by an honoured guest. Similarly, Yung Lee followed the Chinese tradition which forbade an artist to accept gifts. He refused to accept the beautiful house made for him by Sir Alexander. He only accepted it when he was told that the Empress herself had sanctioned Sir Alexander’s gift. Appearance Versus Reality ‘The Chinese Statue’ is a story that begins with the process of auctioning an old statue of Emperor Kung, which appears to be a masterpiece of Ming dynasty art and ends with the revelation of the reality of the statue. Sir Alexander Heathcote had a deep interest in the art of the Ming dynasty, the ruling dynasty of China between 1368 and 1644. So, when he was appointed as an Ambassador to China, he took it as an opportunity to explore more details about Ming dynasty’s artistic works such as their sculpture, paintings and drawings, which he had hitherto read in the books only. During one of his journeys in the countryside, he came across an artist's workshop. When he went inside his workshop, he was highly delighted to see beautiful samples of art. When he talked to the craftsman, it was discovered by the craftsman that Sir Alexander was a lover of art. So, he brought from his house, an old statue of Emperor Kung, which had been in his family for over seven generations. When Sir Alexander saw that statue he felt confident that the statue must have been made by the great artist Pen Q, who had been patronised by the Emperor. He even calculated its time-period and suggested that it must have been made around the turn of the 15th century. The only blemish which he found in the statue was that its base was missing. But Sir Alexander was SO overtaken by its beauty that he could not hide his desire to have the statue. The ” craftsman fixed the base of the statue from his collection of bases and gifted it to Sir Alexander, though with a heavy heart for it was his heirloom.his ancestors had alway ‘Ss Alexander the craftsman by gifting him a beautiful house, which ie on ahaa fr him on the hills. sir Alexander on completing his term in China, london and kept it in his drawing room for all to see and admire. In fact, Sir exander was so fond of this piece of art that he wanted it to remain with his jmily. So in his will, he bequeathed the statue to his eldest son. He made a povision that it should be passed on to the next generations and nobody would jeable to sell it, except if the family’s honour was at stake. The statue, regarded as the heirloom of Heathcotes, remained with the descendants of Sir Alexander for over a hundred years. His latest descendant, dex Heathcote, when faced with financial crisis, decided to sell it and took it to Siteby's Auction House. The head of the Oriental Department at Sotheby's by faving just a cursory glance was confident that the statue was the work of Pen @ However, later on it was discovered that the statue was fake, probably about to hundred and fifty years old, a copy of the original. It was worth only seven fundred and twenty guineas. However, the base which the craftsman casually Sed on the statue, turned out to be a genuine piece of art, worth twenty-two id guineas. brought the statue with him So, the Chinese Statue, which appeared to be a genuine piece of art belonging, the Ming dynasty, in reality turned out to be an imitation of the original. Love of Art a Bélove of art is one of the themes of the story, ‘The Chinese Statue’ Sir 4 ae te, the craftsman, Yung Lee and the narrator of the story, alll ap vers $ of art. Eiras Alexander: Sir Alexander Heathcote has been described More than an amateur interest in the art 4 nee throughout the story. First, when he got an appoin ‘ador to China, he was delighted because he ay we ience of Ming dynasty’s art in its natural hal :term of three years, he took no leave and used that | countryside and discover more about their art. ‘Third, | of Ming dynasty’s art is acknowledged by an old the latter talked to Sir Alexander. Fourth, Sir Alexander was I the beautiful statue of Emperor Kung, which Yung Lee him. His mout} opened wide and he could not hide his excitement on seeing the statue which he was sure must have been made by the great artist Pen Q, by the turn of the 1Sth century. In fact, Sir Alexander was so enamoured by the beauty of the statue, that despite his knowledge and love for Ming dynasty’s art, he could not make out that it was an imitation of the original. He also could not hide his desire to have it, Fifth, Sir Alexander admired Yung Lee for his owe art and his kind act of gifting him (Sir Alexander) his family’s heirloom, He made all the efforts to repay the craftsman and show his gratitude for the artist in him. Finally, Sir Alexander ‘id not want that it should go thed it to his eldest son and made a ras o0| posseseed) about thalspicce os arta aueug away from his family. Therefore, he bequea vi the Heathcotes, unless the family's provision that it would remain as a heirloom of ti honour was at stake. Yung Lee: Yung Lee was a craftsman, who belonged to the old and trusted family of Yung Shau, who had for some five fhundred years been craftsmen. Many of his ancestors’ works were displayed in the palaces of the Manchu princes. Yung Lee himself was a skilled craftsman. When Sir Alexander visited his workshop, he was filled with admiration for Yung Lee’s skill as an artist, He kept on looking and admiring the pieces of art for over an hour. When Yung Lee took him to the Gee: of Hie chop, probably his store, Sir Alexander was s0/-aimaaiggy with the beauty of his art that he felt that he could live amidst those pieces of art for at least a week. ‘A lover of art can easily recognise the other lover of art. So Yung Lee could realise Sir Alexander's love and knowledge of the Ming dynasty’s art. He gifted him the statue of Emperor Kung, which had been in his family for over seve generations. He felt bad to part with his family heirloom, but he was bound by the Chinese tradition. Further, he felt honoured and happy at the thought that the Chinese Statue would go to London with Sir Alexander and would be a‘ i by many people. In fact, he fixed the base of the statue from his own collection, so that the piece could be put on display for others to see and admire. ‘The Narrator: The narrator of the story too appears to be a lover of art: His” presence as a bidder at Sotheby's auction house to buy a piece of art is suggestive of his love for art. Further, he displays his interest in art, when he decides 1 do some research to find the real owner of the statue to be auctioned. ‘mesmerised3, Narrative Methodology: ‘The Chinese Statue’ follows the technique of story within a story. The outer story or the frame story is narrated in the first person singular. The narrator appears to be a lover of art and is therefore, present at the Sotheby’s auction house as a bidder. He is the one, who buys the ‘Chinese Statue’ without its base, for seven hundred and twenty guineas. The core story, which deals with the story of how Sir Alexander Heathcote, a British diplomat, got the Chinese Statue and how it reached Sotheby's auction, is narrated by the same narrator, who narrated the frame story, but im the third person. The events are presented from the viewpoint of the narrator. He attached more value to the statue than its base. That is why, even though, he was aware of the fact that it was fake, he bought it. 2, Language: The language in the frame story as well as in the core story is simple. In the frame story, the words used are in conformity with an auction like “auctioner’s hammer’, “sale of a masterpiece”, “bidders”, “Lot No. 103", and “Sotheby’s” The core story, which describes Sir Alexander’s appointment as a British diplomat in China and the events related to his getting the Chinese Statue, contains vocabulary associated with China, This includes — “Peking”, “Empress Tau= Hsi’, “Imperial Palace”, “a Mandarin”, “Ha Li Chuan”, “Plaited Pigtail’, “Ming: dynasty”, “Emperor Kung’, “Pen Q”, “Yung Lee”, “Yung Shati’y anel Mas Bens ‘The core story is interspersed with a number of dialogues between Sir Alexander and the Chinese craftsman, through the Mandarin, who acted as an interpreter: These dialogues play an important role in the story in depicting the ti traits of both Sir Alexander and the craftsman. 7 3. Irony: The story has a nice sting in the tail which is also ironical. The story revolves around a Chinese Statue, which was brought to Lond in his family for more than hundred years, Heathcote, decided to sell it. ‘Alex was in financial crisis gambling and needed money. He was sure that the statu great-great-grandfather would be worth more than ten tho he was shocked to know that the statue was fake and twenty guineas only. However, the base, which the er his collection of bases and fixed on the statue, came of art, worth twenty two thousand guineas. sai1. It hardly matters if a piece of art is fake or original, till it continues tp attract the lovers of art with its overall beauty. Discuss this statement with reference to the short story, ‘The Chinese Statue’, » In the story, ‘The Chinese Statue’, an old statue of Emperor Kung, belonging to the Ming Dynasty is the main object around which the entire story revolves > Sir Alexander Heathcote, a lover of art, especially of the Ming dynasty’s art, was appointed as British Ambassador in China. It was his love of art that took him to the countryside where he encountered an old craftsman. » Sir Alexander was highly impressed by a statue of Emperor Kung, which had been in the family of the craftsman for over seven generations. The only blemish in the statue was that its base was missing. But that did not bother Sir Alexander as he was enthralled by the beauty of the statue, » For the craftsman, the piece of art was a family heirloom but he had to part with it only to comply with the old Chinese tradition according to which a person had to acceed to the request and give the object if the request was made by an honoured guest » Neither the craftsman nor Sir Alexander and his ancestors came to know that the statue was fake. It seems that they were so mesmerised by its beauty that they did not think about its being genuine or fake. » For the real lovers of art, there is no real cost for an object of art because for them it is priceless. Sir Alexander paid his savings to the craftsman not in cash but in kind. He got a beautiful house constructed in the hills to fulfil the crafisman’s desire to spend the rest of his life in the hills above his village, where his ncestors had always died. 7 It is only for people like Sir Alexander's descendant, Alex Heathcote, who are Selfish, fun loving and disinterested in the work of art, that material wealth is more important than the true worth of a piece of art, It is revealed from his conversation with the Head of the Oriental Department at Sotheby's when he says, “Yes, yes, sell the bloody thing”, without bothering to look back at it » The narrator of the story bought the statue knowing fully well that it was fake, for he also scemed to be a true admirer of art and its beauty. materi ec,