Visit:
Groninger Museum
GO CHINA! ASSEN - GRONINGEN
2 February 2008 - 23 November 2008
China was the theme of a number of highly spectacular exhibitions in the Drents Museum in Assen and the Groninger Museum in Groningen. The Terracotta Army of Xi'an was on show in the Drents Museum from 2 February through 31 August 2008. At the same time the Groninger Museum showed Ancient Bronzes. Masterpieces from the Shanghai Museum.
Groninger Museum
Ancient Bronzes. Masterpieces from the Shanghai Museum
2 February to 28 September 2008
The world-renowned and unique collection of bronze masterpieces from the Shanghai Museum were on show in the Groninger Museum. The exhibition had been specially compiled for the Museum and presented ancient objects from the Chinese Bronze Age, from the 18th century BC up to the beginning of the Christian era.
Most items had recently been discovered in burial chambers. In addition to being used for more practical matters, the bells, wine flasks, water jugs and food containers found were also used for religious, ritual and ceremonial purposes. These uniquely decorated objects, with abstract patterns and images of plants, realistically painted animals as well as dragons and phoenixes from mythology, transport the visitor back to the world of Ancient China. An exceptional item is the collecting jar decorated with 7 bulls. This cowry was a storage place for shells that served as currency. In terms of art and technology, the many objects in the Antique Bronzes exhibition illustrated just how advanced the Chinese actually were in the Bronze Age.
Besides the Ancient Bronzes exhibition the Groninger Museum presented three other Go China! exhibitions:
New world Order. Contemporary Chinese Installation Art and Photography (27 April 2008 - 9 november 2008)
Ai Weiwei (2 March 2008 - 23 November 2008)
Writing on the Wall. Chinese Avant-Garde (23 March 2008 - 29 October 2008)