The Hong Kong Museum of History is displaying some 120 artifacts
unearthed at 20-plus archaeological sites in nine mainland
provinces from July 25 till September 24, marking the first public
exhibition for many of the pieces.
Jointly presented by State Administration of Culture Heritage
and the Leisure and Culture Services Department of Hong Kong, the
exhibition celebrates the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to
China.
The artifacts, which come from time periods raning from the
Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty, are being shown in four
exhibits, the Origins of Chinese Civilization, the Splendor of the
Imperial Tomb Finds, the Delightful Charm of the Tang Dynasty and
Underwater Treasures. Highlights include rarely-seen gold and
silver wares, bronze pieces, pottery figures, lacquer wares,
well-carved jade ornaments, and Buddhist relics.
The museum is also hosting lectures on Chinese archaeology,
including talks on oceanic archaeology around Hong Kong, the
excavation of South Han Dynasty tombs, and the royal life of the
Han Dynasty.
Highlight Exhibits
Bronze "Lai" pan basin
Strongly recommended by the curator Ming Ji, the Bronze "Lai"
pan basin of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 B.C.) has 21 lines
of inscription, making it a significant piece. There are 17 to 19
words in each line and 372 words in total. The "Lai" pan basin
bears the longest inscription of Western Zhou bronze vessels
excavated in China.
Jade burial suit sewn with silver threads
A jade burial suit sewn with silver threads from the Western Han
dynasty (206 B.C.-24 A.D.) was excavated from the tomb of Liuhe in
Huoshan, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province in 1996. During the Han
Dynasty, a jade burial suit was an indispensable funerary object.
Different materials were used according the dead person's social
status. Only the emperor had the privilege of wearing a jade burial
suit sewn with gold threads. When dukes died, they could wear a
jade burial suit made with silver threads. While the aristocrats
and the royal princess died, they were only permitted to wear a
jade burial suit sewn with copper.
Gilt bronze seated Buddha with dragon post
A gilt bronze seated Buddha with a dragon post from the Five
Dynasties period (907-960 A.D.), was excavated from the crypt of
the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province in 2001. The
statue has a design that is rarely seen, juxtaposing a dragon
motif, a symbol of Chinese culture, with Buddhism, a foreign
culture. The Buddha figure is solid proof of the confluence of
Chinese and foreign cultures and is of high research value.
(Chinaculture.org July 27, 2007)
