The Chinese Statue
Question: How can you conclude that the narrator of the story ‘The Chinese Statue’ was a lover of art? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer : 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.
He says about Lot 103 which is reserved for the sale of a masterpiece
” Lot 103 caused those quiet murmurings that always precede the sale of masterpiece. ”
When he read the detailed description of the piece on his catalogue he found out that the statue was “the property of a gentleman”.
This instigated his curiosity about the Statue and he
” decided to do some research to discover what had caused the little Chinese Statue to find its way into the auction rooms on that Thursday morning over one hundred years later. “
Finally he bought the statue for seven hundred and twenty guineas. He says –
” At the auction at Sotheby’s that Thursday morning I obtained the little Emperor for seven hundred and twenty guineas.
Though he knew very well that the statue was fake, just a copy of original, but it appears that like Sir Alexander
” nothing could detract him from its overall beauty. “