Events
Celebrating the Year of the Snake
10 Jan 2025 - 21 Jun 2025
Gallery II, Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) presents the exhibition “Celebrating the Year of the Snake”. Featuring 24 sets of snake-related artefacts from the Museum’s collection, “Celebrating the Year of the Snake” exhibition will explore the diverse representations of this fascinating creature throughout history. Exhibit highlights include a Warring States bronze seal of snake-handling deity, a rubbing of snake-handling shaman stone carving of Eastern Han unearthed from Shandong, and two snake paintings by renowned Qing dynasty artists.
In China, the historical image of the snake is complex: it is associated with creation myths, serves as a spiritual animal alongside shamans and is closely related to the dragon. Additionally, the snake is paired with the tortoise to symbolise the northern guardian, Xuanwu. The snake also embodies danger, as its lethal venom instils fear, categorising it among the “Five Poisonous Creatures”. With a unique serpentine form, the snake is the inspiration for numerous works of art and design.
