A near-perfect copy. That’s what it was. A brazen imitation of a British artist’s work. This is the story of the 水滴(弯) sculpture in Shanghai.
For a decade it stood proudly on the Huangpu River. A giant sundial. A near-identical replica of Wendy Taylor CBE’s Timepiece. Timepiece sits majestically next to London’s Tower Bridge. It’s a tribute to the Docklands history.
Wendy Taylor only learned of the Shanghai copy recently. An art lover on holiday emailed her a photograph. She was shocked. The sculpture was almost an exact copy. The steel ring washer sundial. The central pointer designed like a dockyard nail. Even the chains and cobblestone base were copied. Only the angle of the time indicator differed slightly.
She contacted various organizations and governments. She tried to get the copy acknowledged. It was to no avail. Then The Independent newspaper published an exclusive article on her complaint. This changed everything.
The next day yellow screens appeared around the sculpture. It was quickly dismantled. Authorities admitted it was a copy. They were tracing the responsible artist and department. A representative called Wang stated that they would demolish the sculpture.
Ms Taylor was pleased. Justice had been served. She was not seeking compensation. She just wanted the copy removed. The destruction of the Shanghai copy served as a powerful reminder of the importance of artistic integrity. The 水滴(弯) sculpture’s existence and demise stand as a unique chapter in Shanghai’s artistic history. A story of plagiarism and its eventual downfall. A cautionary tale for future projects.