2011-6 Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, China
Hello All,
Continuing with our ventures in Shanghai the next scheduled stop was the awesome Shanghai Museum. Wow, what a modern beautiful facility. Security was high at the museum, and after seeing the amazing treasures contained within, it is easy to understand why.
Statues lined both sides of the entrance into the museum.
Continuing with our ventures in Shanghai the next scheduled stop was the awesome Shanghai Museum. Wow, what a modern beautiful facility. Security was high at the museum, and after seeing the amazing treasures contained within, it is easy to understand why.
Statues lined both sides of the entrance into the museum.
Our guide had prearranged our entry into the
museum so we were able to avoid the lines of other patrons going in. We entered
on the left side of the stairs.
Once inside we decided to take the escalator to
the top floor and work our way down. On each level there were four huge rooms
containing an amazing collection of precious artifacts. It would take days to
really see everything in this museum.
China has had a long and
established history as well as a multi-ethnic culture. There are fifty-six
ethnic groups in the country. As a result of the ecological environments, their
way of living, and the difference in customs, each ethnic group has its own
unique culture. The arts and crafts that are produced reflect each ethnic
group’s history and identity. The works were not only made from a multitude of
materials, but were also crafted using a variety of techniques. In addition to
their aesthetic functions, they also served pragmatic use as well. The works
produced by China’s ethnic minorities contribute an exotic flavor to the whole
of Chinese art. Here are a couple examples of traditional dress.
Ethnic groups use a variety of
masks painted with exaggerated faces in rich colors to demonstrate the sacred
religious world in contrast to the secular world. Tibetan masks fall into
categories--masks that would be hung, Cham dance masks, and opera masks, amongst
which the ramie-lined are elaborately made to portray gods, demons and beasts.
The wooden Nuo opera masks made by Tujia people in Guizhou depict good gods,
evil gods and secular figures which are lively represented.
In the period from about 6000
B.C. to 2000 B.C., ritual and ornamental jades with strong regional features
emerged across the country. Distinctive among them were the jades produced by
the different Neolithic cultures: the zoomorphic and geometric shaped forms of
the Hongshan Culture of the Liao River reaches; the bi (disc), cong, fu and yue
(axe) jades of the Liangzhu Culture of the Taihu Lake reaches; and the zhang
(sceptre) and dao (knife) jades of the Longshan Culture of the Yellow River
reaches. Artifacts from these different cultures had their own function and
meaning. Producing such jades required skilled labor and a high degree of
specialization. A true expression of the dawn of the Chinese civilization, they
were so fine and precious that only tribal chiefs and shamans could own them.
In the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou dynasties
2000 B.C. to 771 B.C., ancient Chinese civilization reached a new height. The
rulers of the time established a system of using ritual jades to consolidate
their political power. Sets of new ritual jades appeared in addition to those
inherited from the pre-historic past. At the same time, ornamental jades
appeared in some profusion, carved into animals or mythological creatures, some
of them combined with human figures in complex shapes. By this time, jade
ornaments had become a fashionable accessory of the nobility, a mark of
gentlemanly distinction.
With increased commercialization and economic
growth in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties 1271 A.D. to 1911 A.D., jade items
were produced and used ever more widely across society. The court and the
nobility employed jade to an unprecedented degree for daily life, adornment,
display and personal delight. It was also widespread among ordinary people, and
treasured by merchants and scholars alike. Each dynasty had its own style: the
Yuan pieces are distinguished by their particularly deep engraving, the Ming
pieces by their ruggedness and vigor, while the Qing pieces are known for their
sophistication and intricacy. The Qiunlong reign period of this last dynasty
represents the highest point reached by the craft of jade carving. You may be
surprised to learn, as we were, that jade not only comes in shades of green; it
comes in yellow, purple, lavender, red, black and white. The white jade is the
most precious.
Classical Chinese furniture has developed from
ancient times. Fine lacquered wooden furniture appeared as early as the Han
dynasty. In the Northern and Southern dynasties, the Chinese began to change
the habit of kneeling or sitting cross-legged to sitting on a stool--this gave
rise to furniture being developed. The technically structured and artistically
decorated Ming 1368-1644 A.D., and Qing dynasty 1644-1912 A.D., furniture
brought classical Chinese into its zenith. Ming furniture is characterized by a
simple and elegant structure with fluent lines and appealing proportions. Qing
furniture in contrast is larger and more imposing with elaborate carving and
inlaid decorations.
Pottery belongs to mankind,
but porcelain is China’s invention. At places in both the Yellow River Valley
and Yangtze River Valley handmade pottery from as early as the 6th
millennium B.C. has been unearthed. In the next few millennia pottery became
more sophisticated, and by the third millennium B.C. the potter’s wheel was in
use in some regions. In the Shang period 1700-1100 B.C., the high-fired glazed
ware, proto-porcelain, started appearing. The stoneware called mature celadon
was first made in the first century A.D. (late Han dynasty) and was steadily
improved at southern kilns over the next few centuries 220-589 A.D.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties 581-907 A.D., celadon production advanced in parallel with the production of porcelain, a vitrified ceramic material with a very hard white body. In the time of the Liao, Song and Jin dynasties 10-13 centuries, major porcelain-making kilns were widely distributed throughout China. In addition to celadon and white porcelain many other wares were popular, such as qingbai (porcelain with a bluish-white glaze), black-glazed ware, and porcelain with painted designs. There were a wide variety of porcelain-making techniques being refined.
With the invention of underglaze blue porcelain in the Yuan period 1271-1368, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province made itself the pre-eminent center for porcelain production, a position it held throughout the Ming 1368-1644 and Qing 1644-1911 dynasties. Celadon and white porcelain were superseded by porcelain with decorations painted under or over the glaze and by various wares with monochrome glazes. Porcelain glazes became richer and more colorful than ever before. Chinese porcelain has stimulated international trade for over a thousand years. The pieces on display were very colorful and quite beautiful.
In the Sui and Tang dynasties 581-907 A.D., celadon production advanced in parallel with the production of porcelain, a vitrified ceramic material with a very hard white body. In the time of the Liao, Song and Jin dynasties 10-13 centuries, major porcelain-making kilns were widely distributed throughout China. In addition to celadon and white porcelain many other wares were popular, such as qingbai (porcelain with a bluish-white glaze), black-glazed ware, and porcelain with painted designs. There were a wide variety of porcelain-making techniques being refined.
With the invention of underglaze blue porcelain in the Yuan period 1271-1368, Jingdezhen in Jiangxi province made itself the pre-eminent center for porcelain production, a position it held throughout the Ming 1368-1644 and Qing 1644-1911 dynasties. Celadon and white porcelain were superseded by porcelain with decorations painted under or over the glaze and by various wares with monochrome glazes. Porcelain glazes became richer and more colorful than ever before. Chinese porcelain has stimulated international trade for over a thousand years. The pieces on display were very colorful and quite beautiful.
Without a doubt we thoroughly
enjoyed the Shanghai Museum. It really showcases the vast history of China. The
artistic ability and dedication of its people to invent and perfect whatever
endeavor they pursue is amazing. They certainly are industrious and talented.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns