A client’s Qing Dynasty vase was sold in Singapore on Monday ( Mar 3 ) in exchange for paying his debts, and he was sentenced to two years and five months in jail.
Kuok Chio, 42, also gave the same collection a false calligraphy work after attempting to clean the original artwork.
Kuok, who owns the Chinese Art Centre ancient store, has recently admitted guilt on three counts of obtaining benefits from criminal behavior, criminal breach of trust, and cheating.
Sentencing was based on two additional expenses.
In October 2023, Kuok contacted the customer, Dr. Chan Chi Chin, to ask if he could take two parts from Dr. Chan’s set to Hong Kong for pricing.
A “blue and light garlic-head dish” made during the Qianlong Emperor’s reign in Qing Dynasty China from 1735 to 1796 was allowed by Dr. Chan to take one dish to Hong Kong to have it valued.
The vase was worth at least HK$ 1, 800, 000 ( about S$ 315, 000 ), according to court documents.
Kuok agreed when Dr. Chan informed him that he was not going to sell the jar without his permission. Additionally, Kuok also provided security to the collection by issuing a post-dated check for S$ 50,000 from his business accounts.  ,
Kuok’s business was affected by the COVID-19 crisis, but at the time, he owed more than S$ 60, 000. To pay off his obligations, he made the decision to buy the bowl.
The bowl was immediately available for sale by him when he contacted an ancient dealer. He paid S$ 150, 000 in funds for the jar, which he used to pay some of his debt.
Kuok deceived Dr. Chan a few years due to that incident by Singaporean actor Lim Tze Peng, who received a Cultural Medallion in 2003.
According to court records, the painting’s title,” Shui Diao Ge Tow, Foreign Ink on Paper,” refers to a song from the Song Dynasty. Dr Chan had bought it for S$ 18, 000.
Kuok noticed the artwork on a wall in Dr. Chan’s house in June 2021. He advised Dr. Chan to have it properly cleaned and pointed out some spots.
The collector gave Kuok permission to take the artwork and paid Kuok S$ 2,700 for his services, including vehicles.
Kuok, but, damaged the work by improperly cleaning the ink and using a chemical mixture. He had followed an online movie training but was unsure of how to clear the artwork.
Kuok used a picture he took before the cleaning to print a version of the artwork and place this in a light PVC pipe to cover up his error.
Kwok delivered the PVC pipe to Dr. Chan on January 24, 2022. He advised Dr. Chan to keep the artwork in the pipe because it contained nitrogen gas, which may help keep the artwork preserved.
Dr. Chan kept the tube in his business but did not open it.
When Dr. Chan confronted Kuok about the bowl at his place of employment almost two years later, he noticed a painting with similar spots to the one he had.
Kuok responded that it was a unique artwork when he inquired about it. However, Dr. Chan chose not to pursue the issue because he was focused on the bowl.
When Dr. Chan moved into his home and made the decision to redefine the decoration and hang it up, the deception surfaced in June of that year.  ,
He brought the PVC pipe to a salesperson’s business, where they informed him that the artwork outside was a fake.
Up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to S$ 500, 000, or both are the penalties for obtaining advantages from legal behavior.
Kuok could receive a seven-year sentence in prison, a great, or both for a legal breach of trust. He could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, or both for lying.