Venus De Milo Statue Made From Panda Dung Sold For $45,000

"A former Swiss ambassador to China turned art collector has forked out 300,000 yuan (45,000 dollars) for a replica of the famed Venus de Milo statue -- made from panda dung.

Zhu Cheng, a Chinese sculptor, created the statue with the help of nine 11 year-old art students in the central Chinese city of Chengdu, the home of a giant panda breeding centre.

According to the Henan Business Daily newspaper, it has already been purchased by Uli Sigg, a Swiss businessman who owns the world's largest collection of contemporary Chinese art, for 300,000 yuan (£30,000).

Mr Sigg, who was formerly the Swiss ambassador to China, told the Henan Business Daily that he thought the statue was "full of creativity and innovation