China had demanded the return of the Qing dynasty fountainheads, of a rat and a rabbit, which were snatched from the imperial Summer Palace by British and French troops 150 years ago.

The sale price excluding auctioneer's fees came to 14 million euros (17.9 million dollars) each.

Three anonymous telephone buyers bid for each of the two statues, but no bids were placed from within the auction room itself, under the glass dome of the Grand Palais exhibition hall on the banks of the River Seine.

A group of Chinese people left the building immediately after the sale, while Chinese lawyer Liu Yang, who has spearheaded efforts to have the pieces returned to Beijing, gathered journalists for an impromptu press conference.

Both pieces were auctioned along with Roman marbles and Egyptian antiquities on the third and final day of the vast sale of art, furniture and antiques collected collected by the late fashion icon and his partner Pierre Berge.

They were estimated at around 10 million euros each.

China's foreign ministry said repeatedly it wanted the relics returned, and the Beijing-based Global Times accused France on Wednesday of "hurting China's feelings," in reference to the Saint Laurent sale.

But Paris said it had received no official protest from Beijing, and the auction went ahead as planned after a French court threw out a last-ditch legal attempt to have it blocked.

Berge, who decided to sell the collection following Saint Laurent's death last year, had offered to return the pices to China in return for a pledge to improve human rights.

But the Chinese foreign ministry dismissed his offer as "just ridiculous."

Two dozen Chinese students rallied outside the Grand Palais Wednesday evening, handing out leaflets denouncing the "barbaric and bloody history" behind the looting of the relics.

Some 350 items in the 732-piece collection were up for auction on the last day of what has already smashed all world records for a private art sale, netting more than 300 million euros in its first two days.

earlier related report
China haunts YSL art 'sale of the century'
A row with China over a stunning pair of ancient bronzes headlined Wednesday's finale of the once-in-a-lifetime sale of Yves Saint Laurent's art collection, which has so far netted 307 million euros (386 million dollars).

Set to wind up late in the evening, the three-day "sale of the century" has defied the credit crunch, with players in the global art market sending prices rocketing through the ceiling and records smashed one after one.

The first day's takings alone set the auction of the collection assembled by Saint Laurent -- the legendary French fashion designer who died in June at the age of 71 -- and his companion Pierre Berge as the biggest private sale ever.

Some 350 items in the 732-piece collection go on the block on the final day but all eyes will be on the evening sale of lots 677 and 678 -- looted Chinese fountainheads from the 18th century that Beijing wants returned.

"France once again is hurting China's feelings," the Beijing-based Global Times said Wednesday in reference to the Saint Laurent sale.

Looted in the imperial Summer Palace by British and French troops, the Qing dynasty pieces are valued at up to 10 million euros each.

Two dozen Chinese students rallied outside the glass-domed Grand Palais exhibition hall ahead of the evening sale, handing out leaflets demanding their return to China.

"Each relic from the Summer Palace kept in the hands of a private collector is a reminder of a barbaric and bloody history," their text read.

The two bronzes, a rat's head and rabbit's head that are part of a series snatched by western troops 150 years ago, go on the block from 7 pm (1800 GMT) along with Roman marbles and Egyptian antiquities some 2,000 years old.

"Imagine if someone had burnt down your house and stolen your things -- what would you do?" asked one 28-year-old student, who would not give her name.

Chinese lawyer Liu Yang, who has spearheaded efforts to have the pieces returned and travelled to Paris for the sale, said he was "waiting for the results of the sale to decide what further action to take."

"The road is long, but we will do everything in our power," he said.

This week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu demanded the return of the pieces and described an offer from Berge to trade them for human rights as "just ridiculous."

But France's foreign ministry said it has not been officially contacted by China on the subject.

Wednesday's evening session will be the last chapter in a spending spree for the YSL/Berge collection that has set 25 records for art and design works ranging from the 16th to the 20th century.

Seven world records for contemporary artists -- including Matisse, Mondrian, Klee and Brancusi -- were smashed on day one, among frenzied bidding from 1,200 well-heeled buyers.

Day two saw a new frenzy of bids for Art Deco pieces, sending prices soaring through the ceiling and clinching the sale of the 20th century's most expensive piece of furniture ever -- a leather armchair by Irish designer Eileen Gray.

So far, the highest price paid was 35.9 million euros (46.5 million dollars) for a Matisse and 21.9 million euros (28.2 million dollar) for Gray's armchair, also the second most expensive item of furniture ever.

Berge, 78, who opted to sell the collection amassed over a lifetime after Saint Laurent's death last June 1, is offering the proceeds to fight AIDS and to a foundation honouring the fashion designer's work.

"Yves would have been very happy", he told journalists.

But asked whether the high-profile sale can restore confidence to the flagging art market, dealer Alain Tarica, who once supplied Saint Laurent and Berge, was less than certain.

"Everything here is exceptional", he said. "That is not the case unfortunately on the market."

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