The auction has attracted international attention, with China’s national cultural relics watchdog calling for the boycott.

“We don’t agree with any organization, from home or abroad, taking part in the auction,” said a statement released on Tuesday by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

“We also call for people with a humanitarian spirit to commonly boycott the auction of cultural relics that were lost illicitly.”

To be considered in the auction for the Tiger Ying at The Canterbury Auction Galleries, bidders are required to register and place a deposit of 25,000 pounds ($35,400).

An old letter from a British military officer indicated the item was stolen from the Old Summer Palace in Beijing, an imperial court resort of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The garden resort was destroyed by invading Anglo-French military forces in 1860 during the Second Opium War. Many treasures from the Old Summer Palace were taken overseas.

Consequently, when it was announced that the Tiger Ying would be offered for sale through the Canterbury auction house on April 11, objections were raised in China.