A studio audience at a Chinese television programme showcasing priceless ancient relics was shocked when a crew member accidentally smashed a 2 500-year-old bronze mirror, state media reported.
Dating back to the Warring States Period of 475BC to 221BC, the small gilded mirror inlaid with turquoise was being held by a presenter’s assistant when it fell out of its wooden box and smashed on stage, Xinhua news agency said.
The incident occurred on Sunday during filming of a Chinese Central Television programme selecting the “10 most valuable treasures” from private Chinese collections.
Experts rushed on to the stage to pick up the pieces as the studio audience and crew watched in stunned silence, Xinhua said in a report issued late on Wednesday.
The mirror’s owner, renowned antique collector Chen Fengjiu, said it was the only one of its kind and that other collectors had offered him $1-million for it.
It was not known whether any arrangements for compensation were being made, Xinhua said. — AFP