BEIJING: An influencer in China has said online that a golden phoenix crown her artist husband made her as a wedding gift was damaged by a child and her mother while taking a photograph at an exhibition.
The influencer, Zhang Kaiyi, who has 13.6 million followers on social media, said on Dec 13, 2023, that the 2kg crown was badly damaged at an event in Beijing.
In surveillance footage posted by Zhang, a mother tries to take photographs of the crown with her phone as her son, who looks primary school age, wipes its clear protective case for his mother to capture better images.
The case, which was not firmly attached to its pedestal, dropped, bringing the crown crashing down causing serious damage.
Zhang, who is seven months pregnant, said she and her husband were very frustrated because the crown meant a lot to them.
She said her husband had designed and made the traditional item that women wear at their weddings as a gift.
The couple met online and tied the knot after a few months of dating. Zhang said the crown was one of the few items that symbolised their love.
The 2kg item is worth nearly two million yuan (US$280,000).
A gold jewellery expert told Shanghai Xinmin Evening News that the cost of manufacturing it would have been between 200,000 and 400,000 yuan (US$28,000 and US$56,000).
Also, Zhang said she felt devastated about the damage because she was worried that it might bring bad luck to their marriage and the baby she is expecting.
In a follow-up video, Zhang said she was comforted by online observers, who told her an old belief that when important items are damaged, it means that it is blocking bad luck for them.
The crown was exhibited at the Beijing X Museum together with works by 86 artists. The theme was “love”.
The show was initiated by Zhang’s husband, who is now a PhD candidate at China’s prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts.
She said she posted the video not to ask for compensation from the mother and son because they had bought insurance for the crown.
She also reminded parents to watch their children at exhibitions and do not “just play with their phones”.
Zhang’s videos attracted 180,000 likes and 35,000 comments. They also triggered heated debate on who should be responsible for the damage.
While some criticised the mother and son, others said the exhibitor should be responsible for not securely fixing the display case to the pedestal.
“I have often seen fingerprints on display cases at national museums, where priceless antiques are showcased. It seems to be a common practice to touch the case,” one online observer said.
Another, who claimed to work in the exhibitions industry, said: “When we install an exhibition we often shake the pedestal just to make sure the exhibits are well protected even if some people display uncivilised behaviour.”
Zhang added that their insurance company, the museum and the couple will bear the losses between them. - South China Morning Post
