Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection Launched at the Hunan Museum

A new special exhibition “A Feast for the Eyes from Europe—Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection”, jointly hosted by the Hunan Museum and the V&A Museum and supported by the Art Exhibition China, is launched in the morning of January 18 at the lecture hall of the Hunan Museum. 

Officials from the Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism and the Hunan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage, representatives from the V&A Museum, officials and experts from departments including the Cultural Heritage Communication Center of China, officials, directors, and senior members from the Hunan Museum, as well as media representatives were invited to attend the opening ceremony. Jin Fan, deputy director of the Hunan Museum, hosted the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony started with Mozart's String Serenade Quartet (k525) 1st movement, performed by teachers from Hunan Vocational College of Art. Chen Xuliang, the deputy party secretary of the Hunan Museum, and Wang Zhijie, the deputy director of Hunan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Heritage delivered speeches on-sight successively, and then, Tan Ping, the director of the Art Exhibition China and Tristram Hunt, the director of the V&A Museum delivered speeches via video successively.  

This exhibition displays ninety pieces of treasures, including the most exquisite parts of Rosalind and Arthur Gilbert collections, such as gold and silver wares, snuffboxes and micro mosaics, vividly showing the lifestyle and social etiquette of European courts and nobles from the 17th to 19th century. It is a visual feast about the history, culture and art of Europe. 

European gold and silver wares were favored by the royal family and nobles as they are noble, luxurious, and in superb workmanship. Some of them were used as religious ritual vessels to show solemnity and piety; Some were used as gifts to show dignity and wealth; Some were used as souvenirs to highlight merit and honor. At the same time, the craftsmen of gold and silver wares innovated the production process in accordance with the popular trend of royal and noble banquet style, and produced noble and elegant banquet tablewares to fit in with the living habits and aesthetic taste of targeted customers.

Pocket portraits and snuffboxes are perfect examples of pocket art in Europe from the 17th to 19th  century. They were beloved ornaments carried by nobles. Pocket portraits were mostly painted with pigments and enamel. They rose in the 16th century, became popular in Britain and France and gradually spread to the whole Europe in the 17th century. Snuffbox is one of the symbols of nobility. Sniffing snuff is considered to be a more elegant and noble behavior than using a pipe. Snuff exchange is an important way of social communication. The emperor even issued Royal decrees to stipulate snuff exchange etiquette. Snuffboxes customized according to the personal aesthetics of the nobles are mostly made of gold and silver and inlaid with gemstones, or decorated with pocket portraits, or absorbed techniques such as enamel painting, micro mosaic. They are extremely unique and exquisite.

Mosaic is a kind of inlay art that makes decorations with colored inlays such as small stones, shells, ceramic tiles and glass. This craft originated in West Asia, matured in Italy in the ancient Roman period, and derived micro mosaics in the Renaissance. Different from traditional mosaics, micro mosaics make patterns or portraits with very subtle inlays of various colors, which is more like painting. They are easily seen in snuffboxes, decorative paintings and furniture. The themes of decoration include ancient Roman monuments, religious scenes, landscapes, animals and flowers. In the mid-18th century, micro mosaics were gradually embedded in small decorations. They are in rich themes, gorgeous colors and unique workmanship.

In addition to the exquisite cultural relics, the art design of the exhibition hall is also unique. A large number of Europe-style elements and shapes were used to form a special atmosphere for visitors. A "European living room" is also built in the exhibition hall, so that visitors can appreciate the scene and atmosphere of European Court and noble banquets more intuitively. It is also an excellent place to take photos and share on social media.