This exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales features items from Taiwan (but the sales material says they come from "Taipei"). Most of the objects in the exhibition date from the Qing dynasty period, so they are relatively late historically speaking, and were made in the period after a sea route to Asia was discovered by the Portuguese.
One item that is an exception to this rule is a lovely, enormous funerary urn with a tripod base from the earliest stages of Chinese culture, around 1500BC. These big bronze vessels had a symbolic meaning for the people who used them, and they were mainly used by the elites. The workmanship they display is exceptionally high, so they are very beautiful. You wonder what meaning the people who used them assigned to them.
Half of the items on display are paintings and half are other types of manufactured goods, including a carved rock, a ceramic statue of an elephant with a vase on its back, and a copper bird made with cloisonné inlayed colours. There is one large black-and-white painting from the Qing era that is a good 20 feet long. It shows a variety of scenes from inside a walled town and from the outskirts of the town, including shops, boats, and a wedding procession. Just marvellous; very detailed like a cartoon.
One thing that stood out for me when I visited the gallery to see the exhibits was that most of the patrons in the rooms were Asian. It’s funny how most people in the broader community will readily say that they support minorities but when it comes to taking an active interest in foreign cultures, people aren't all that engaged. The exhibition is on until 5 May.
One item that is an exception to this rule is a lovely, enormous funerary urn with a tripod base from the earliest stages of Chinese culture, around 1500BC. These big bronze vessels had a symbolic meaning for the people who used them, and they were mainly used by the elites. The workmanship they display is exceptionally high, so they are very beautiful. You wonder what meaning the people who used them assigned to them.
Half of the items on display are paintings and half are other types of manufactured goods, including a carved rock, a ceramic statue of an elephant with a vase on its back, and a copper bird made with cloisonné inlayed colours. There is one large black-and-white painting from the Qing era that is a good 20 feet long. It shows a variety of scenes from inside a walled town and from the outskirts of the town, including shops, boats, and a wedding procession. Just marvellous; very detailed like a cartoon.
One thing that stood out for me when I visited the gallery to see the exhibits was that most of the patrons in the rooms were Asian. It’s funny how most people in the broader community will readily say that they support minorities but when it comes to taking an active interest in foreign cultures, people aren't all that engaged. The exhibition is on until 5 May.
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