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    The Chinese Statue by Jeffery Archer

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    Piku Choudhury
    The story follows the history of a Chinese porcelain statuette from when it was acquired by Sir Alexander Heathcote in 1871 in a village in China, through its inheritance by his descendants. In the present day, the last descendant attempts to sell the statue at auction to pay off debts, but discovers it is a fake except for the authentic base. The narrator purchases the statue while the base is bought by another collector for a high price.

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    The Chinese Statue by Jeffery Archer

    Uploaded by

    Piku Choudhury
    4K views2 pages
    The story follows the history of a Chinese porcelain statuette from when it was acquired by Sir Alexander Heathcote in 1871 in a village in China, through its inheritance by his descendants. In the present day, the last descendant attempts to sell the statue at auction to pay off debts, but discovers it is a fake except for the authentic base. The narrator purchases the statue while the base is bought by another collector for a high price.

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    ISC Short Story summary and analysis

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    The story follows the history of a Chinese porcelain statuette from when it was acquired by Sir Alexander Heathcote in 1871 in a village in China, through its inheritance by his descendants. In the present day, the last descendant attempts to sell the statue at auction to pay off debts, but discovers it is a fake except for the authentic base. The narrator purchases the statue while the base is bought by another collector for a high price.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    4K views2 pages

    The Chinese Statue by Jeffery Archer

    Uploaded by

    Piku Choudhury
    The story follows the history of a Chinese porcelain statuette from when it was acquired by Sir Alexander Heathcote in 1871 in a village in China, through its inheritance by his descendants. In the present day, the last descendant attempts to sell the statue at auction to pay off debts, but discovers it is a fake except for the authentic base. The narrator purchases the statue while the base is bought by another collector for a high price.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    THE CHINESE STATUE BY JEFFERY ARCHER

    Plot Summary
    • The scene is set at Sotheby’s, an auction house of considerable repute. Here, an antique Chinese porcelain
    statuette is being auctioned in the presence of a motley crowd of some serious and not-so-serious bidders.
    • The author, seated amidst the bidders, is intrigued by this item’s history and decides to delve into its past
    to get a clearer picture of its origin and ownership.
    • The brochure said that the statue had been purchased in China from a place called Ha Li Chuan in 1871 by
    one Sir Alexander Heathcote. It is said to have originated in the Ming dynastic period.
    • The story unfolds in a leisurely manner, beginning with a description of Sir Alexander, his family
    background and his own character and habits. He is shown to be a lover of all Chinese art and culture.
    • He is sent to China as the British ambassador in the court of the Empress Tzu Hsi (or Cixi) in Peking. Here
    he explores the countryside during his free time.
    • On one such occasion he visits the village of Ha Li Chuan where he comes across an old Chinese artisan.
    This man shows him the statue which he longs to possess and impulsively says so.
    • Since it was a custom among the Chinese to give a guest what he wants, the artisan presents him with the
    statue, although it clearly pains him to do so, since it is a family heirloom. Before giving it, however, he
    finds a base for it, which he affixes. Although the base fits, it is in no way comparable to the beautiful
    statue it upholds.
    • Sir Alexander is fully aware of the great honour done to him, and on his part, following another Chinese
    custom, provides the Chinese artisan with a little house, the value of which is equal to the estimated cost
    of the statue.
    • When he returns to England on his retirement, the Chinese statue is displayed with pride at his home,
    showing how much he values it. It means so much to him that he includes instructions regarding its
    inheritance for his descendants.
    • The Chinese statue thus is passed on to his son, a soldier, his grandson, a clergyman, and his great grandson,
    another soldier. This man, James Heathcote, dies during the Second World War, while his son is still a
    toddler.
    • The child is brought up by his widowed mother who spoils him, so much so that the boy grows up to be an
    idle fellow with the habit of gambling. At last he reaches the stage where he has to pay off a large debt and
    the only way he can do so is by selling the Chinese statue.
    • When this latest descendant of Sir Alexander Heathcote decides to sell the statue he takes it to Sotheby’s,
    the famous London auction house. He thinks it will fetch him a huge amount of money.
    • However, the expert at Sotheby’s soon lets him know that the statue is a fake, probably not worth more
    than seven or eight hundred pounds.
    • As Alex Heathcote is about to walk away, resolving to kill himself as he cannot pay the debt, the expert
    informs him that the base of the statue is an authentic antique.
    • The narrator ends the story by stating that he was able to pick up the statue for seven hundred and twenty
    guineas. The base was bought by an American collector for twenty-two thousand guineas.

    Stylistic Features
    • The story is set at two different locations and two different time periods. Moreover, the author has employed
    the technique of ‘story within a story’. Though the story opens with the scene of an auction house in
    England, it takes us back in a flashback to 1871 in China, in Peking and a village named Ha Li Chuan. This
    is a favourite narrative technique of Jeffery Archer.

    1
    • The story is typical of Jeffery Archer’s style, ending with an unexpected twist. Another characteristic
    feature is the leisurely meandering style of narration that nevertheless keeps the reader enthralled. The
    denouement, however, is delivered swiftly and neatly.

    Themes
    • The main theme is about perception – that the value of an object often lies in our perception of it, rather
    than in its intrinsic value.
    • The Chinese Statue was valued by Sir Alexander Heathcote and his immediate successors more for its
    artistic merit than its monetary value. Thus, they showed no interest in selling it. However, his final
    descendant, attached no other value to it than its saleability.
    • So while one might think the story is about perceived value and the actual value, it is really more about
    what one values regardless of its actual cost. Would Sir Alexander Heathcote have valued the Chinese
    statue less if he had known its actual cost?
    • A minor theme relates to Chinese customs and traditions which are woven skilfully into the story, forming
    an integral part of the narrative. The British ambassador shows a remarkable knowledge and respect for
    Chinese art, customs and traditions.
    • Character study is also an intrinsic part of the story, as it could not have unfolded without Sir Alexander
    being the man he is, or Alex Heathcote being the way he is.
    • The characters are well portrayed in their own perspectives. Sir Alexander’s uprightness and Yung Lee’s
    humbleness and respect for traditional values make them memorable. Though the characters are quite
    different from one another, one thing is common between them: love and respect for art.

    Questions
    1. How did Sir Alexander Heathcote acquire the Chinese statue? What does reveal about his character?
    2. Describe the history of the Chinese Statue. What happened to it in the end?

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