Famed Shanghai Museum Opens U.S. Exhibit
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- The bronze bowl seems unremarkable until you study it from above. Then, the shallow basin suddenly seems to teem with life: etchings of tiny tadpoles, turtles and fish wriggle across the bottom and up the sides, as if trapped in a real-life pond.
The bowl, which dates to 770 B.C. and was used in an ancient Chinese hand-washing ritual, is one of dozens of artifacts on loan from the famed Shanghai Museum for a six-month exhibit at the Bowers Museum. The show will trace 5,000 years of Chinese history when it opens Feb. 18 and marks the first time in two decades that the prestigious Chinese museum has opened its collection for use by a U.S. institution.
Seventy-seven objects guide visitors through the evolution of China's history, from the simple pottery of the Neolithic cultures to the intricate miniature bamboo panoramas and colorful scrolls of the Qing Dynasty, which ended less than a century ago.
"This is a very comprehensive exhibit from one of the most famous Chinese institutions in the world," said Peter C. Keller, president of the Bowers. "Each dynasty is known for something outstanding, and by choosing the iconic objects from each dynasty, you can tell the story of China."
Securing "Treasures of Shanghai: 5,000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture" was a coup for the Bowers, a small but growing institution in Orange County, about 35 miles south of Los Angeles. The opening coincides with the addition of two new wings there, one of which will remain dedicated to Chinese art after the Shanghai collection leaves on Aug. 19.
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The bowl, which dates to 770 B.C. and was used in an ancient Chinese hand-washing ritual, is one of dozens of artifacts on loan from the famed Shanghai Museum for a six-month exhibit at the Bowers Museum. The show will trace 5,000 years of Chinese history when it opens Feb. 18 and marks the first time in two decades that the prestigious Chinese museum has opened its collection for use by a U.S. institution.
Seventy-seven objects guide visitors through the evolution of China's history, from the simple pottery of the Neolithic cultures to the intricate miniature bamboo panoramas and colorful scrolls of the Qing Dynasty, which ended less than a century ago.
"This is a very comprehensive exhibit from one of the most famous Chinese institutions in the world," said Peter C. Keller, president of the Bowers. "Each dynasty is known for something outstanding, and by choosing the iconic objects from each dynasty, you can tell the story of China."
Securing "Treasures of Shanghai: 5,000 Years of Chinese Art and Culture" was a coup for the Bowers, a small but growing institution in Orange County, about 35 miles south of Los Angeles. The opening coincides with the addition of two new wings there, one of which will remain dedicated to Chinese art after the Shanghai collection leaves on Aug. 19.