Reputation Risk in the Global Art Market

When Yves Saint Laurent died in June 2008, his estate passed to his business partner, Pierre Bergé. Bergé decided to auction several items from Laurent's estate at Christie's international auction house, including two antique bronzes from China. The general feeling in China was that these artifacts had been looted and should be repatriated rather than auctioned. The case highlights issues of ethics, corporate governance and corporate responsibility.