“In early 2009, Christie’s International in Paris held a much-anticipated three-day auction from the private art collection of the late fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent. The items up for sale were 733 pieces that Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, had amassed over five decades. The French press dubbed this the “sale of the century.”

Two of the most anticipated items of the event were a pair of bronze animal heads from China—one of a rabbit and one of a rat, each dating back to the 18th Century Qing dynasty. On the third and final day of the auction, the bronze heads went up for sale one at a time. The rat and the rabbit bronzes sold for fourteen million euros each to the same bidder—an art collector and dealer named Cai Mingchao. But when it came time to pay the bill, Cai had a surprise: he would not pay up. In fact, Cai had purposefully sabotaged the sale of the heads as an “act of patriotism” for China.”

Original Air Date: February 16, 2021