Hunan Provincial Museum Launches Bronze-ware Exhibition

In order to promote the research on the bronze ware of the late period in history in Hunan Province, Hunan Provincial Museum launched the exhibition “A Revival of the Bronze Ware Art: Bronze Ware of the Late Period in History in Hunan Province” on December 28, 2013. And the exhibition will run through to March 9, 2014. It is displayed at the Exhibition Building of Changsha Municipal Museum with free admission.

150 objects are selected from the collection of Hunan Provincial Museum, ranging from the Buddhist statues, ritual implements to exquisite ornaments. It is hoped that more people will pay attention to the bronze ware of late period in Chinese history, and more importantly the humanistic spirit and the general idea of people’s lives in different dynasties embodied in those objects. The fine Buddhist statues reflect the development of religious culture. The elegant ritual implements show the remarkable progress of the art of bronze ware. And the delicate ornaments represent the distinctive tastes of the ancient scholars. With the perfect combination of traditional craftsmanship and Dantong technique (copper produced by dipping iron in the solution of bluestone) and Copper enamel, all these bronze ware integrate plastic arts, practicality and the values of different times. Not only do they embody rich historical culture, but also symbolize a new development period in the production of Chinese bronze ware.

Hunan boasts of a large number of diversified bronzes of late period of Chinese history, as well as numerous bronzes of Shang & Zhou Dynasties. The Largest amount of bronzes from Shang & Zhou Dynasties was excavated in Hunan province among other areas along the Yangtze River. The bronze ware of the late period in Chinese history started from the Song Dynasty. Seeking to revive the ancient ritual system, Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties experienced great revivals of the art of Chinese bronze ware. During the past decade, Hunan Provincial Museum has always been committed to collecting not only bronze ware of Shang & Zhou Dynasties, but also bronze ware of Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, which are of high artistic and research value.

In 2013, Hunan Provincial Museum is temporarily closed due to the Renovation and Expansion Project. However, Hunan Provincial Museum, against all odds, adopts the policy of “providing quality exhibitions to the public even though the museum is closed”. The exhibitions include: “Exhibition of Jeffrey Foxx’s Photos of Native Americans”, “Towards Modernity: Three Centuries of British Art”, “The Fourth Art Changsha Biennial”, “Homeland & Farming Culture: the exhibition of Zhang Yikun’s Photos” and so on. They are highly reviewed by people from all walks of life. “Revival of the Bronze Ware Art: Bronze Ware of the Late Period in History in Hunan Province” is the first original temporary exhibition designed by Hunan Provincial Museum during its Renovation and Expansion Project. Hunan Provincial Museum is always committed to carrying out its historical mission of cultural heritage and will continue to provide more cultural feasts for the public in the coming 2014.

Recommended Exhibits: 

Gilt Bronze Statue of Sitting Buddha, Song Dynasty

Statues of Lord and Lady Nuo (Nuogong and Nuomu: deities of the Miao ethnic group in China), Qing

Human-faced & Beast-shaped Zun (an ancient type of Chinese bronze or ceramic wine vessel), Qing