SHINE

“The Beliefs and Arts of the Kushan Dynasty,” on display at the Shanghai Museum, highlights the ancient empire’s culture and arts through a collection of historical relics.

The Kushan Empire was a nomadic civilization on the northern steppes of Asia, influenced by Greece, Iran and India due to its strategic location at the crossroads of cultures.

From the first to the fourth centuries, the Kushan Empire included Central Asia and parts of South Asia, covering a key area of the Silk Road.

Kushan had a profound impact on these regions ─ from politics to economics and religions. As a hub on the ancient Silk Road, Kushan’s stability made it a vital place for communication between the Han and Parthia, Rome and India.

“Although the Kushan Empire embraced all religions, it attached more importance to Buddhism,” says Yang Zhigang, director of the Shanghai Museum. “The combination of Greek sculpture and Buddhist doctrine accelerated the spread of Indian Buddhism to the surrounding region significantly.

“Meanwhile, Kushan fused Hellenistic art into the local culture of Central Asia,” Yang explains. “The integration of different art styles that happened in Kushan Empire made Central Asian arts more diverse in both content and form.”

The Shanghai Museum exhibition is divided into several parts, including “Power and Monarch,” “Faith and Culture” and “Business and Lifestyle.”

The ancient coins, Buddha sculptures, ornaments and seals on display provide an insight into the past glory of the Kushan Empire. Among all the items, the ancient coins are a highlight.

“The identification of the pedigree of the ancient empire was mainly based on the study of Kushan coins and various historical records,” says Yang.

As a mirror to the stability of a government, coinage usually does not change significantly. But dramatic changes took place in Kushan coins ─ from the king’s image on the front side to the icons as reflection of peoples’ beliefs on the back and the characters carved on the edge.

Such huge changes show the diversity of beliefs from the peripheral areas and the adaptations to new environments as the empire expanded.

Another highlight is a series of Buddha sculptures. The elements of Greek portraiture were embodied in expressing various faiths.

The fusion of Indian faith and Greek art gave birth to the “Gandhara Style,” which offers a visual impact for people to better understand the deep meaning of Buddhism.

THE Hangzhou government spent five years surveying all the city’s museums, archives and galleries. Statistics show there are 366,862 antiques in Hangzhou — 1,205 of which are top-level protected relics.

Government departments collaborated with these venues to categorize collected antiques according to their levels and selected the most precious 400 pieces to display in the Hangzhou Museum through August 18.

Exhibits range from Neolithic artifacts and imperial crafts to local porcelains.

Visitors can vote for their favorite 10 exhibits. It is also possible to vote online through official WeChat accounts of major Hangzhou newspapers. The result will be announced on June 10.

The exhibition is divided into four parts — porcelains, metal items, jade wares and paintings. The first section shows ceramic antiques discovered in Hangzhou.

The city has long been at the center of the regional pottery and ceramics industry.

As early as the Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) and the Zhou (c.11th century-221 BC) dynasties, patterned pottery items were made on a large scale for daily use and rituals.

The production practices of that time paved the way for the creation of high-quality porcelains in later centuries.

The displayed porcelain bianzhong (编钟) could date to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). Bianzhong was an ancient Chinese musical instrument that consists of a set of bronze bells. Its use was restricted to ritual music in the imperial court. It proved that in ancient southern China, people already used porcelain bianzhong to replace traditional bronze in rituals.

The exhibited porcelain version has survived many centuries underground.

The world’s first porcelain kiln was built in what is now Zhejiang Province during the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220). The Konghu Kiln in today’s Xiaoshan District was of the same period.

Thereafter, several noted imperial and folk kilns were established across the city, turning Hangzhou into an important production center of sought-after porcelain commodities.

Among them, the Yue Kiln found favor with imperial court by virtue of its elaborate celadon. It reached peak productivity during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (AD 907-979) periods.

Mise celadon (秘色瓷) has been famous throughout history, although the skills to reproduce it have been lost.

The exhibition features exquisite mise celadon wares made from Yue Kiln. They were burial objects excavated from graves in the Wu Kingdom (today’s northern Zhejiang Province).

The second section of the exhibition displays metal antiques. An abundance of glistening gold and silver antiques have been unearthed across Hangzhou. The two metals have been highly valued by craftsmen due to their high economic value and fine malleability.

Gold was more popular in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) than previous dynasties, because the then royal court permitted private mining and free trade.

Hangzhou as the capital of the dynasty has been excavated a large number of gold artifacts.

The Southern Song-style accessories featured smoother lines, more floral designs, thinner texture and new hexagon, octagon and chrysanthemum shapes.

Peach blossom, bee, lychee, butterfly, lotus, peacock, turtle, melon and vine also appeared a lot on the accessories. These patterns symbolized harmony and auspiciousness, and were gorgeously embossed on the artifacts.

The ritual system was restored during the Song Dynasty. Ritual ceremonies were held, ritual architecture dominated structures and ritual vessels were made.

The imperial court produced a number of copper ritual containers imitating the bronze vessels of Xia (c.21st century-16th century BC), Shang and Zhou dynasties, which in return made copper vessels populate at the time.

In previous dynasties, copper was widely made into mirrors for daily use. The mirrors were engraved with auspicious cloudy lines and mythical creature patterns.

The third section of the exhibition displays jade ware. Neolithic Liangzhu Culture is considered one of the oldest civilizations in China, as well as the originator of the country’s jade culture.

The jade artifacts found at the Liangzhu relic site symbolize the astronomical and geographic concepts of the Liangzhu people.

The display includes a jade axe and a jade cylinder, both of which represent the Liangzhu people’s understanding of the universe.

Jade culture thrived through dynasties and is still popular today. It epitomizes mild character and is believed to ward off evils. Therefore, jade accessories were popular in ancient times. The exhibition exhibits a dozen of jade wares ranging from the Warring States Period to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

The last section of the exhibition displays precious ancient books, paintings and seals. Numerous ancient books had been ruined during various wars, which in return made the ones that survived even more valuable.

Ancient books have always been cherished as they record history, literature, medical science, agriculture and social development. The displayed diary written by Qing Dynasty literati Yu Yue reflects Hangzhou’s academic strengths during that dynasty.

Seal-carving flourished as a form of art when painters and calligraphers finished their works with the red stamp of a seal or more. This vogue gave birth to a variety of seal styles.

Wu Rangzhi was a great master in China’s seal-cutting history. His works have been copied and imitated by generations of admirers in utter worship. His precious works are now on display at the exhibition.

For thousands of years, ancient Chinese transported silk, tea, gunpowder and handicrafts to the West via the Silk Road. In return, Western fruits and crops were sent to China.

Silk was one of the main products which headed to the West, stealing the thunder from the technologies and cultures that thrived amidst mutual trade and exchanges.

An exhibition at the China National Silk Museum displays exhibits on loan from 13 museums through August 23, including unearthed antiques featuring exotic cultural elements.

The first highlight is a gold plate carved with floral patterns and three Greek mythical figures — Dionysus, Hercules and Centaur — celebrating the Dionysia, a major festival in ancient Athens in honor of Dionysus.

Made in the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 420-581), the plate was excavated from Datong City in north China’s Shanxi Province. Ever since the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534) made it as the capital, Datong developed into one of the hubs along the Silk Road.

The exhibition also has another silver plate carved with Dionysus. Adorned with vine patterns, it portrays Dionysus riding a lion.

During the Southern and Northern Dynasty, the Eastern Roman Empire dispatched ambassadors to the Northern Wei imperial palace to maintain the friendly relation. The plate was brought to Northern Wei royal court as a tribute.

Another silver container with gold motifs also testifies to the mutual influence in cultural exchanges. It is engraved with pomegranate patterns which symbolize harvest, prosperity and thriving offspring in Western countries.

Pomegranates spread to the Orient during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) and soon found favor. People printed, carved and embroidered such motifs on clothing and handicrafts, praying for happy marriages and prospering offspring.

The Maritime Silk Road began to flourish between the 12th and 15th century, when long-distance trade in high-value products, particularly silk, tea and porcelain, began to expand between Chinese and Western empires.

In order to meet the demands from overseas, domestic kilns expanded in scale and integrated different firing techniques, making China a giant in the world’s porcelain industry.

During the middle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), trade along the Maritime Silk Road reached its peak. A large quantity of Chinese products was transported to the West, which in return gave a boost to the chinoiserie trend.

In a bid to meet Europeans’ fascination for all Chinese things, exported crafts were decorated with all manner of Chinese elements. Chinese craftspeople produced a large number of ceramic products that integrated Chinese elements with Western designs.

The exhibition showcases a Jingdezhen blue-and-white porcelain with a chinoiserie style made in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Henk Nieuwenhuys, a collector from the Netherlands, donated it to the Shanghai Museum in 2008.

The porcelain features patterns integrating Chinese dragon boats and Western sailboats. It is believed to be from the British East India Company which once ordered ceramics from China and then transported them to other countries.

In the late 18th century, Chinese-style lacquered furniture also found favor abroad. During that time, furniture from China was a luxury, only affordable by the upper class.

The exhibition showcases a lacquered table in Western style but decorated with chinoiserie-style landscapes and figures. Craftspeople carved on a lacquer to create scenes and then sealed it with more lacquers for a smooth and shiny surface. It evidenced the mutual learning between China and other countries.

The booming Maritime Silk Road also boosted the development of frankincense. The exotic aromatic resin was imported to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and immediately become popular.

A silver incense burner on display was used to burn frankincense in rituals. It is designed in the shape of an entire lotus with a flower, seedpods and stems. Buried for centuries in the underground palace of Changgan Temple in Nanjing, it is highly valued for its rarity.

Inheritance is the deep foundation of culture and history. Enlightenment is an endless source that nourishes our long-standing cultural inheritance.

As a pearl in the vast cultural soil of Jiangnan — the region to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, cultural inheritance can be seen everywhere in Jiading, and the cultural relics unearthed here are the best evidence of Shanghai’s profound cultural heritage.

To celebrate the 800th anniversary of the establishment of Jiading’s Confucian Temple and the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Jiading Museum, an exhibition of cultural relics unearthed in Jiading is underway, with 104 cultural treasures involving animal fossils, jades, pottery, bronzeware, ironware, tinware, porcelain, stone artifacts, woodenware, gold and silverware and epitaph.

These historical relics are the pearls of memory for Jiading’s growth and development. Through them, we can link the past of Jiading with the present.

From the exhibited treasures, we have picked out five that show the exclusive character of Jiangnan culture.

...

The round lucky coin with a square hole in the middle is made of gold, with Taoist symbols imprinted on both sides.

Lucky coins usually carry blessings and auspicious patterns imprinted on one or both sides.

They are not currency, but coin-shaped playthings.

Lucky coins have been made since the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220) — people believe the “money” can serve gods and ghosts.

Casting lucky coins began with the worship of gods and totems by ancient people.

As society became stable and the quality of life improved, lucky coins were made for praying for longevity, promotion and good fortune.

People believed that wearing these auspicious coins had the function of praying for longevity, exorcising evil spirits and bringing fortune.

Due to the prevalence of Taoism in the Song Dynasty, casting lucky coins with the theme of promoting Taoism and the Chinese zodiac overwhelmingly dominated.

The Ming and Qing dynasties were the heyday of lucky coin casting and use.

During this period, almost all sectors of society used them. Both official mints and ordinary people cast lucky coins.

In southern China, most lucky coins were made by mints in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

The coins were made of high-grade copper, with exquisite craftsmanship and were popular with the people of the time.

The gold lucky coin unearthed from Li’s tomb in Jiading was put on the abdomen of the tomb occupant.

The Taoist symbols have the special meaning of “getting rid of calamity,” which not only applies to the daily life of the believers, but also blesses the deceased on their way to heaven.

Such a pattern is very rare on lucky coins, which reflects the folk belief in the Jiangnan area in the Ming Dynasty.