Events

5 May 2013 - 16 Mar 2014

Art Museum, Institute of Chinese Studies, CUHK

Tel: (852) 39437416

A collection of about 300 Eurasian and Chinese gold artifacts dating from ca. 1500 BCE to 1700 CE in the Mengdiexuan Collection, Hong Kong, forms the core of this study and exhibition. This is the first comprehensive, systematic presentation of gold in ancient China held in a Hong Kong museum. More than just an exhibition of one private collection, this will be the first large-scale, art-historical, intercultural, and technical study of Chinese gold from the earliest times. As a material that was introduced into China through its contact with non-Chinese groups during the late 2nd millennium BCE, gold brought with it not simply a new visual appeal, but completely new technological, artistic, and cultural implications in the complex interactions between cultures, peoples, and regions over time and space. With the help of archaeological discoveries in China, Central Asia, and Russia, this exhibition and the accompanying catalogue will assess the development and role of gold in Chinese society for over 3000 years. Professor Jenny F. So will lead and coordinate this exhibition and the publication of a fully illustrated, 3-volume bilingual catalogue. In addition, a symposium, open to the public, consisting of a series of presentations by an international roster of scholars, will be organized as part of the exhibition opening festivities. This provides a forum for the Hong Kong community to benefit from updated scholarly research on this material, scholars to exchange ideas, and the opportunity to discuss and pursue potentials for future research and collaboration in the study of gold in China.

Museum Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sundays and Public Holidays: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Thursdays: Closed (Except Public Holidays) 
Closed on New Year Holidays, 
Lunar New Year Holidays, 
Easter Holidays and Christmas Holidays