Dutch collector willing to return Buddha

荷兰藏家愿归还肉身佛

Dutch collector willing to return Buddha

The Dutch private collector who now owns the 1,000-year-old Buddha statue with a mummified monk inside is willing to return the relic to China, if the statue is proven to be stolen from China, according to Amsterdam-based newspaper NRC Handelsblad.

阿姆斯特丹《新鹿特丹商业》报道,荷兰私人收藏家拥有的这尊肉身坐佛是一个有1000年历史的佛像,且佛像中包含一位僧人的肉身.收藏家表示,如果事实证明这尊佛像确为中国被盗文物,他愿意物归原主.

According to the report, the current owner, who works as an architect in Amsterdam, purchased the statue for 40,000 guilders ($19,786) in 1995, the same year a Buddha statue was reported stolen from China.

报道称,这位收藏者是阿姆斯特丹一名建筑师,1995年,他花4万荷兰盾（19786美元）将佛像买到手.正是在那年,中国的一尊佛像被盗.

Jin Ruiguo, an official with the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH), said in a statement that based on photos, local archives and witness statements, SACH can confirm that this Buddha statue was stolen from a temple in Yangchun village in east China's Fujian province in 1995.

中国国家文物局工作人员金瑞国,在综合分析了文物图片,村庄档案,以及目击者的描述后称,这尊肉身坐佛就是1995年福建省阳春村(位于中国东南部）的被盗文物.

The collector said the statue is indeed similar to the one in photos of the Buddha stolen from China. However, the Chinese reports say the Buddha was stolen in October, 1995 by the lunar calendar (which corresponds to the period from end of November to mid December, 1995 by the solar calendar), but the collector can prove that the statue was already in the Netherlands in mid 1995, hence it is uncertain whether the two Buddha statues are the same one.

收藏者说,从照片上看,这尊佛像确实与中国被盗文物颇为相似.但是,根据中国的报道,佛像是在1995年农历十月（大约在1995年11月到12月之间）被盗的,而他能够证明在1995年年中,这尊佛像就已经在荷兰了,因此,不能肯定它就是中国那尊被盗佛像.

The owner is willing to invest more, including in DNA testing technologies, to further verify the identity of the Buddha. The SACH is also gathering more evidence and working with other departments to secure the statue's return, Jin said.

收藏者表示,他愿意配合深入调查,包括用DNA检验法来核实佛像身份.而中方人员表示,中国国家文物局也在继续收集证据,并会与其它部门合作,确保佛像顺利回国.

The statue attracted attention after a CT scan last year found it contained a mummy of a 12th century Buddhist monk. The monk sits on a pillow that is around 300 years older.

去年,人们在CT扫描后发现,这个佛像中有一个12世纪的僧人肉身,从而引起了广泛关注.佛像中的僧人坐在一个比他还老300年的坐垫上.