The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Mary Jo White) filed a civil forfeiture suit under the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act, which led to the statue's seizure.

[10][11] In 2001, the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan, returned a rare Buddhist statue that was stolen from a public garden in the Shandong province.

[12] A rare bronze horse was purchased for 8.9 million US by Macau billionaire Stanley Ho who donated it to China.

In that same year, another relic (a yellow jade pendant carved as a dragon) sold for £478,000 at another auction in Dorchester.

The National Cultural Heritage Administration condemned the auction arguing it was illegally looted from China and demanded its return.

[16] However, after some private negotiations, the Tiger Ying was returned and became part of the National Museum of China's collection in November of that year.