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HKBU Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology holds photo exhibition of national bronze vessels

06 Dec 2021

The long inscription engraved inside the Da Ke Ding serves as a historical record of the socio-political system of the Western Zhou kingdom.
The long inscription engraved inside the Da Ke Ding serves as a historical record of the socio-political system of the Western Zhou kingdom.
Pan (water vessel) of Zi Zhong Jiang is a bronze water vessel from the collection of the Shanghai Museum. When filled with water, all the animal figurines on its surface, such as waterbirds, frogs, and fish, rotate 360 degrees.
Pan (water vessel) of Zi Zhong Jiang is a bronze water vessel from the collection of the Shanghai Museum. When filled with water, all the animal figurines on its surface, such as waterbirds, frogs, and fish, rotate 360 degrees.
The “fruits” and the “divine birds” on the bronze sacred tree were added at a later stage of its restoration, which lasted a decade.
The “fruits” and the “divine birds” on the bronze sacred tree were added at a later stage of its restoration, which lasted a decade.
The Zun decorated with a dragon and tiger was found in the No. 1 pit at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Sichuan province. When the bronze vessel was discovered at the site, it was filled with broken pieces of jade, seashells, and bronze inlaid components with traces of fire, demonstrating that it had been used in actual sacrificial offerings.
The Zun decorated with a dragon and tiger was found in the No. 1 pit at the Sanxingdui Ruins in Sichuan province. When the bronze vessel was discovered at the site, it was filled with broken pieces of jade, seashells, and bronze inlaid components with traces of fire, demonstrating that it had been used in actual sacrificial offerings.

The HKBU Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology (JAS) has launched the “Auspicious Bronzes in Full Glory: Photo Exhibition of the Bronze Collections from the Shanghai Museum and the Sanxingdui Museum, Guanghan, Sichuan”, in collaboration with the Shanghai Museum and the Sanxingdui Museum. The exhibition features images of bronze vessels of national significance acquired by the two museums, and it is being held on the HKBU campus from 19 October to 31 December.

 

The photo exhibition features nearly 40 national bronze treasures with a history of 3,000 to 4,000 years, including the Da Ke Ding – a large ding (food vessel) of Ke; Jia (wine vessel) with animal mask; and a Zhong (chime bell) of Su, a Duke of the Jin Dynasty, from the Shanghai Museum. In addition, a bronze portrait with a gold mask, a bronze sacred tree and a gold cane are some of the artefacts from the Sanxingdui Museum. The high-resolution images have captured the intricate decorative patterns and fine patina on the ancient objects in extraordinary detail.

 

As part of the JAS’s perennial series of art events, “Scholarship and Culture”, the exhibition aims to bring to life these ancient cultural artefacts in Hong Kong, and it also hopes to broaden the audience’s knowledge and provide inspiration to teachers and students who are interested in ancient Chinese culture through the showcasing of bronze vessels from the past.

 

Please click here for more details.