She Walks in Beauty: Exhibition of Women of the Han Dynasty and Rome Empire Kicked off in the Hunan Museum

On the morning of June 15, the opening ceremony of "She Walks in Beauty: Exhibition of Women of the Han Dynasty and Rome Empire" was held at the Hunan Museum. Relevant leaders and experts from the Rome Cultural Heritage Supervision and Management Bureau, the Consulate General of the Republic of Italy in Guangzhou, the Office of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the CPC Hunan Provincial Committee, the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Cultural Relics of Hunan, the Hunan Museum attended the opening ceremony.

The exhibits of this exhibition come from 19 museums in Italy and China, totaling more than 200 pieces(sets), involving bronze, pottery, gold and silver ware, glassware, jade ware, sculptures and other categories, reproducing the family life, emotional life and social life of women in the Han Dynasty and Roman Empire, and feeling the wisdom and charm of women in the East and the West.

Interpretation

Part I: Living in Peace
The peach are blooming and full of vitality.
The girl is getting married and compatible with the husband's family.

When the scroll depicting the scenes of women living at home in the East and the West is slowly unfolded, we will see them getting up early and being lazy to put on makeup, still drowsy; we will see them wearing beautiful jewelry after washing, with fluttering clothes and bright eyes; we will see them attending banquets with a little excitement, and singing lightly; we will also see them waving round fans and laughing in their spare time, immersed in the selfless happiness of entertainment and play.

This part focuses on the family life of women in the Han Dynasty and Roman Emperor, selecting many cultural relics in five aspects: cosmetic, accessories, clothing, housing, and banquets, and having a deep insight on the seemingly small but extremely great power of women in the "family" at that time, as well as their unique understanding and ingenuity of a good life.

Part Ⅱ: Charm of Women
Don't say women are not heroes, 
they are competent and waiting in the wings .

With a strong empire, a prosperous economy and a diverse culture, women in Rome and the Han Dynasty were able to spread their wings and fly in a wider world. They were no longer confined to family chores, but actively participated in social production and life, showing a different style. Upper-class aristocratic women used their own advantages and social resources to enter the political field where women were weak, turning the wheel of history; civilian women, with limited social resources, actively engaged in production activities, and the warp and weft on the loom followed the Silk Road to the world, and the female figures were eternally fixed in medicine, handicrafts, commerce and other social and economic fields.

This part mainly focuses on the diverse roles and contributions of women in the East and the West in social life. Whether they are noble ladies in the imperial court or ordinary women in the marketplace, they all contribute to the prosperity and progress of society in their own ways.

Part Ⅲ: Flowers blooming and Family Reunion
The green collars of yours, linger in my heart.
The green pendants of yours, haunt my thoughts.

Perhaps the yearning for love, the yearning for lovers, and the prayers for family are the most authentic emotional monologues in women's inner world. Approaching them, you will find the delicate thoughts, the fiery emotions, and the gentle and kind beauty.

In this section, we will follow the thoughts of women in the Han Dynasty and ancient Rome, immerse ourselves in a cross-time and space dialogue about love and marriage, and feel their deep expectations and persistent pursuit of romantic emotions and happy marriages. Sacrifices and prayers to gods are also the main expressions of women's emotions. In the candlelight of the altar, they tell of their expectations and wishes for their own lives, as well as their eternal and unchanging pure yearning for a better life.

Explore the Exhibition

The exhibition will be open to the public from June 15, 2024 to October 7, 2024 in the No.2 Special Exhibition Hall on the first floor of the Hunan Museum. Visitors can log on to the Hunan Museum's official website, official WeChat public account, and Alipay mini program to reserve tickets.