ChineseTraditional Art Bulletin

e-bulletin

23 June 2000

Welcome to the Chinese-art.com Traditional Art e-bulletin, distributed monthly to scholars, professionals, and those interested in the world of Chinese traditional art. Please e-mail suggestions, news, and announcements to editor@chinese-art.com.

contents

NEWS FROM CHINESE-ART.COM

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

NOTEWORTHY ESSAYS

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUM NEWS

Other past, ongoing, and future exhibitions are posted in previous e-bulletins:
19 May 2000

[past and ongoing exhibitions]

[upcoming exhibitions and events]

[museum news]

AUCTION & MARKET NEWS

Older auction results are posted in previous e-bulletins:
19 May 2000

[recent auctions]

[upcoming auctions]

CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIA

BOOKS AVAILABLE FROM WWW.CHINESE-ARTBOOKS.COM

NEWS FROM CHINESE-ART.COM

Traditional Chinese Art Magazine

A new issue of the Chinese-art.com Traditional Magazine will be appearing in early July. The January 2000 issue, featuring Chinese painting, can be viewed at /Traditional/trad2.htm. Contributors include Xue Yongnian, Liu Jianlong, Yang Lili, Wu Gan, Li Ling, and Nie Chongzheng.

Contemporary Chinese Art Magazine

Don't forget to check out the latest issue (volume 3, issue 1) of the Chinese-art.com Contemporary Magazine, which includes the feature article, "Conceptual Art and the China Experience," by Wang Lin, an interview between Zhang Zhaohui and Wu Hung, "The Space 'In-Between': Curatorial Strategies for Chinese Contemporary Art," by Sue Rowley, a profile of Song Dong and his recent video work, and more.

Print Copies of Chinese-art.com Publications

If you're too busy to browse, New Art Media Limited (HK) offers paper-bound, printed copies of Chinese-art.com's web-publications on a paid subscription basis.

www.chinese-artbooks.com

Our on-line bookstore, http://www.chinese-artbooks.com/, offers a careful selection of English and Chinese publications on traditional and contemporary art. For a sample of new books available on traditional Chinese art, please see our New Books section below.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

Materials from the Haidai Neolithic Culture

In an attempt to better understand the middle Neolithic-period remains of the Haidai area, the Beijing University Archaeology, in cooperation with the Cultural Relics Bureau of Jinan, Shandong province, and the Changqing County Culture Bureau, recently conducted an excavation at the ruins of the Zhang Palace at Guidezhen, Changqing County. The excavation, covering an area of 125 square meters, has cleared out six ash pits dating from the early Neolithic period. Some pottery has been recovered from the pits, along with stones, animal bones, and the charred remains of fruits and vegetables. These discoveries offer clues to the relationship between the early remains of the Later Li culture and the Beixin culture. Preliminary efforts have resulted in the restoration of 21 ceramic artifacts out of the nearly 10,000 potsherds excavated at the site. The items include cauldrons, basins, and tripod cooking vessels. Except for the specially-made feet of the tripods, all of the items were hand-modelled using the clay-strip technique. Dating analysis puts the age of the site to about 7,000-7,500 years ago.

Yan Shengdong, Yan Qiuxia, and Wang Ying, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 April 2000), 1.

Qidan Writing Found at Liao Imperial Tomb

Recently in Walinmangha, Suoborigasumu, Balinyouqi, Inner Mongolia, Qidan writing -- funerary inscriptions for Huang Taishuzu and the Song Imperial Concubine Wei -- has once again been excavated. This will advance the interpretation of Qidan script one step further. On all four beveled sides of the lid are engraved images of twelve immortals; the raised platform in the center holds three lines of Qidan small character seal script engraved in relief, five characters to each line. These 15 Qidan characters translate into six individual words reading "Lament for Taishuzu." The text of the eulogy writing contains 25 lines of Qidan small regular script, each line varying from 13-56 characters, altogether 807 characters, with one character damaged. The inhabitant of this tomb is the the Liao emperor Xingzong's second son, Yelu Hegaiwo (1041-1110), and the Song Imperial Concubine Wei is his wife. The lid of her epitaph also has 12 immortals carved on the beveled edges of the lid. On the raised central portion are engraved four lines of Qidan small seal script, five characters per line. The 20 Qidan characters form eight individual words meaning "Carved Epitaph of the Song Imperial Concubine Wei." The epitaph itself is in 24 lines of Qidan small regular script, each line varying from 9 to 58 characters, with 642 characters total. Both "Lament" and "Carved Epitaph" were written in the Qidan language by this Yelu clan member and his wife at the end of the Liao dynasty. Unearthed at the same time were analogous epitaphs in Chinese characters, which although not direct translations of the original, will still be of some help in translating the Qidan text.

Qing Geqin, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 April 2000), 1.

China's Earliest "Double" Barbican Wall Discovered in Yangzhou

In March 2000, an archaeology team discovered remains of a Song dynasty (960-1279) double barbican, or circular wall, at a site in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province. The team--which included researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Archaeology Research Institute, Nanjing Museum and the Yangzhou Culture Bureau [wenhuaju]--was excavating an area between Yangzhou's Tang-Song-era (618-1279) east city wall and the Ming-era (1368-1644) city wall when it discovered the Song-era fortifications. From the 2400 square meters already excavated, one could see that outside the Song-period main eastern gate there were free-standing structures opposite each other that together form a unitary barbican construction. Experts say that this kind of "double" barbican shape was intended to strengthen the defense of the city. The structure is the earliest double barbican yet discovered, and is believed to be the origin of double- and multiple-barbican systems in later dynasties. Its discovery is of great value for research into the development of the architecture of China's ancient cities.

Li Zebin, Zhongguo wenwu bao (30 April 2000), 1.

Relics Excavated from Eastern Han Tomb in Fanchang, Anhui

The Cultural Relics Bureau of Fanchang County, Anhui province, recently carried out a salvage excavation of an Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 20-225) tomb discovered in April during the construction of a dike at Wu Lake (Wuhu), which is fed by the Yangtze River. The tomb sits on a north-south axis in the hollow between the two mountains Zhushan and Banshan, across from the Sanshan Township governmental offices. The bilevel shaft, measuring 3 meters long by 2.5 meters wide, held a wooden coffin. Items recovered include earthenware canisters, silver coins, iron swords, bronze clothes- and belt-hooks, and seals. Of the three seals, one is an official seal marked "Seal of Wuhu." The other two are marked "Seal of Chen Qiangsi." Experts say that this discovery yields materials important for research into the social and economic development of the Yangtze River valley during the Eastern Han period, as well as into the establishment of county and prefectural administrative divisions.

Liang Hua, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 April 2000), 2.

A Rich Harvest from Two Ming Tombs in Hunan Province

This April, the Cultural Relics Management Office of Hengyang, Hunan province, excavated two Ming dynasty (1368-1644) tombs in the city's western suburb of Shenglishan, recovering nearly one hundred items. In a wooden coffin in the second tomb, thirty articles, including clothing and papers, were preserved intact, along with the woman's body they had been buried with. The items included single- and double-layered cotton clothing, as well as garments made from silk, cotton and hemp. Designs included clouds, phoenixes, chrysanthemums, entwined flowers and branches, and border patterns. The style of the clothing is artistic and tasteful, and the workmanship is exquisite. This excavation will be valuable for research into Ming spinning and weaving techniques, clothing and personal adornment, and arts and crafts.

Guo Jianheng, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 April 2000).

Exact Location of the "Six Song Mausolea" Discovered

In Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, the exact location of the famous "Six Song Mausolea," has recently been discovered, thus making it possible to give the large-scale imperial tomb complex in the Jiangnan area the protection it deserves. The mausolea are located near Paikou Village in Shanjiang Town, Gaobu Township, less than 20 kilometers southeast of Shaoxing. In March 2000, construction workers discovered house foundations, flagstone paths, and even piles of rectangular stones. Experts who investigated the site believe that it is the location of the famous "Six Song Mausolea" -- the tombs of the Gao, Xiao, Guang, Ning, Li and Du clans of the Southern Song (1127-1279).

Zhang Le, Zhongguo wenwu bao (6 May 2000), 1.

Important Gains in Longshan Period Archaeology

Since 1997, the Henan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Institute, in the process of conducting investigations of Neolithic cites between the cities of Xinmi and Xinzheng, discovered the largest village enclosure to date - nearly 1000 square meters. Excavated remains - 153 ash pits, 5 ash ditches, 4 kilns, 3 stove pits, 8 wells, 4 building foundations, 5 graves -- date from the Longshan, Erlitou, and Erligang Cultures to the Yin and Warring States period. A large quantity of stone, bone, shell, and earthenware utensils were also unearthed. Although the city wall foundations bear some relationship to that of the Yangshao Culture site at Xishan, Zhengzhou, there are also new features resembling Shang-period technology. Architecture unique to this site include a large hall and a kind of long walkway - construction methods predating similar structures in the Erlitou Culture.

Cai Quanfa, Ma Juncai, and Guo Musen, "Important Gains in Longshan Period Archaeology," Zhongguo wenwu bao (21 May 2000).

Houma Ancestral Sacrifice Site Re-Excavated

In February and March 2000, the Houma Work Unit of the Shanxi Province Archaeological Research Institute, in coordination with a Shanxi No. 1 Construction Company construction and engineering project, re-excavated 114 ancestral sacrifice pits on the south side of Xintian Street in Houma City. Unearthed were over 50 pieces of jade and stone, among which were six jade bi (round flat piece of jade with a hole in the center), six jade dragons, and one semi-circular jade pendant - most of these half-finished. Among the discoveries is a wide, exquisitely made green jade bi, its face engraved with a design of clouds and dragons, vivid and life-like. One light green jade dragon measuring 6 cm long and 2 mm thick has a curled tail and a smooth, round, and full-bodied surface. The remains of this ancestral sacrifice site is the only such over the years, making evident the range of distribution and the burial patterns of the site. For research into the meaning of ancestral sacrifice activities, this excavation provides rare data.

Tian Jianwen and Li Yongmin, Zhongguo wenwu bao (17 May 2000), 1.

Excavation of Stone Tomb Chamber, in Jiangbei, Chongqing

In early April 2000, the Chongqing Archaeological Research Institute and the Jiangbei Cultural Relics Protection Institute jointly conducted salvage work for a Eastern Han (AD 25-220) to Six Dynasties (222-589) stone tomb chamber 5.84 meters long and 3.18 meters wide. The tomb consists of three components: a single tomb chamber, single corridor, and tomb doors. The construction materials consist predominantly of long stone blocks, with triangular pieces of stone used to form the arch of the vault and rectangular stone planks have been used for the floor. The workmanship is meticulous, with the bricks layered tightly together. The stone tomb doors simulate wooden double doors (hinged to allow opening and closing from inside the tomb); in the center is a gold door plate in the shape of a sandpiper. These tomb doors have already been moved entirely to the Chongqing Museum for collection and exhibition. The fairly numerous burial goods unearthed from the tomb were made from copper, iron, stone, celadon, glazed and unglazed pottery, and silver coins. Figurines came in many forms: women, foreigners, a figure holding his ears, a figure holding a spade, chickens and roosters, a sitting dog, pig(s), horse(s), tortoise(s), fish, snail(s), lotus seed case(s), bamboo shoots, buildings, cart wheels, well(s), stove(s), table(s), "ear" cup(s), earthen bowls, plates, jars, etc.

Zou Houxi and Lin Bizhong, Zhongguo wenwu bao (10 May 2000), 1.

Flooding Reveals Grave of Mongolian Noble

In May 2000, archaeologists in the Haote City, Erlian, Inner Mongolia, discovered an ancient grave uncovered by floods 500 meters north of the 50-kilometer border running from Saiwusu, the Erlian Basin, to the Hongge'er Highway. This grave is a vertical pit dating from 800 years ago during the reign of Mongol khans. Tests show that the body is female, buried with the chest bones of a sheep in a coffin that has three horizontal wood boards aligned underneath it. A copper belt ringed the waist, a hat or crown graced its head, copper bracelets encircled its wrists, two turquoise ornaments were attached to the ears, and grains were piled on the head and both sides of the chest. The hat/crown, 12.5 cm in diameter, is made of two layers of birch bark stitched together. The relatively well-preserved copper belt consists of 15 rectangular plates sewn together, each 5 cm long and cast with large-antlered deer, clasped closed by a ring 6 cm long. It is said that the deer is the totem used as a sacrificial offering by the female earliest ancestors of the Mongolian people, and this first discovery of it is extremely valuable. During the Mongol khanates, the Mongol, Jin, and Song domains converged at the Erlian valley, the area which nurtured the clan of Genghis Khan.This grave provides precious material evidence for the study of ancient Mongol history.

Wang Dafang, Zhongguo wenwu bao (14 May 2000), 1.

Discovery of Grave Complex Dating from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-486 BC) to the Song Dynasty (420 AD) in Pingyin, Shandong

In 1999, the Jinan Archaeological Research Institute and the Shandong University Archaeology Department conducted a comprehensive drilling exploration of the Pingyin West Mountain burial ground and simultaneously conducted a salvage excavation of a section of graves. The Xishan graves are located in the area around the base of the mountain west of Xishan Village, in Dong'e Town, Pingyin County, Shandong Province. Archaeologists held two large-scale drilling excavations in the first and second halves of the year, determining the north-south length of the burial ground to be about 2000 meters, the east-west width about 300 meters, the total area about 600,000 square meters, and discovering over 1300 graves from all periods. In total, over 300 graves of every kind were excavated, the majority of which have been robbed to varying degrees. There are almost 100 graves that have essentially been completely preserved. The earliest time period of the graves may be the Spring and Autumn period (770-486 BC), the latest the first year of the Song dynasty (420 AD), but the majority of graves date from the Han dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). The Warring States period (475-221 BC) graves excavated this time were mainly distributed in the northern part of the burial grounds. The burial items found were mostly pottery, but included a bronze sacrificial vessel previously unknown to archaeologists. The majority of unlooted graves were small graves, the largest not exceeding 10 square meters, and the smallest just over 2 square meters. This excavation yielded over 1000 cultural relics of all kinds and is significant for the study of Han archaeology in Shandong.

Wang Jingui, Liu Shanyi, and Fang Daoguo, Zhongguo wenwu bao (10 May 2000), 1.

NOTEWORTHY ESSAYS

"Gengzhitu Landscapes in the Qingqiyuan and Paintings Carved in Stone"
Liu Lu, Gugong bowuyuan yuankan 2000:1, 61-70.

Gengzhitu (Pictures of Ploughing and Weaving) is an important subject matter in ancient Chinese art. Gengzhitu were drawn throughout the reigns of the Qing emperors Kangxi (1662-1722), Yongzheng (1723-1735), and Qianlong (1736-1795). Qianlong had constructed a landscape of ploughing and weaving for the Qingyiyuan (Garden of Clear Ripples) at the same time that the imperial textile and dyeing shop moved from the Inner City to the shore of Kunming Lake. This article, based on an analysis of the relationship between the gengzhitu and the relocation of the textile workshop, discusses for each of the three reigns the respective explanations for the gengzhitu and the different characteristics of each emperor's court. The author's conclusions on the underlying contexts behind imperial gengzhitu can be summarized as follows: during the Kangxi reign, gengzhitu proclaimed that the "origins of imperial governance rested with farming and sericulture"; in the Yongzheng era, gengzhitu reflected false praise of "po chen ju shi" (broken dust retired scholar); and during Qianlong, the embellishment of the park site and courtyard paintings indicated desire for authentication of cultural change. This small set of gengzhitu reflects the rule of these three reigns and embodies the characteristics of Qing imperial culture.

"A Yuan Dynasty Embroidered Wondrous Law of the Lotus Sutra"
Huang Chunhe and Yan Guofan, Shoucangjia (Collector) (June 2000), 40-43.

This essay discusses a piece of embroidery dated to the 26th year of the Yuan (1366) in the collection of the Beijing Capital Museum (Shoudu bowuguan). Measuring 2326 x 53 cm, this length of embroidered yellow silk depicts the Buddhist classic Wondrous Law of the Lotus Sutra. The authors introduce the iconography, artistry, and inscriptions of the object and discuss its relationship to two similar works in the Palace Museum and the Shanghai Museum.

"Images of Fuxi and Nuwa on Five-Stringed Qin in the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng"
Guo Dewei, Jianghan kaogu 2000:1, 63-68.

This author presents his findings on the iconography of a five-stringed qin excavated from the Warring States (475-221 BC) tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng in Suixian, Hubei. First, he discusses deities connected with music in ancient texts, eliminating the possibility that the figures portrayed are what scholars previously believed to be "the awakening of the Xia Empress." He then continues with records pertaining to the making of animal gods, and concludes that the figures on the qin are Fuxi and Nuwa.

"The Mongolian Portrait Painter Mangguli and His Work"
Nie Chongzheng, Gugong bowuyuan yuankan 2000:1, 82-85.

This article provides an introduction to the life of Mongolian portrait painter, Mangguli (1672-1736), and examines the paintings Small Portrait of Yunli and Akedun Crossing the Imperial Palace in the collection of the Palace Museum, as well as Portrait of Prince Guo in the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City. Nie conducts a critical analysis based on historical accounts of his techniques in portraiture. The author points out that changes in Mangguli's painting style coincide with the arrival of Western painting techniques brought by Lang Shining to the imperial court in the 54th year of the Kangxi reign (1715).

EXHIBITIONS & MUSEUM NEWS

[past and ongoing exhibitions]

The Palace Museum Exhibits Works from the Collection of Li Chuli

On 19 May, the Palace Museum and the Chongqing Municipal Museum opened the Exhibition of Works Donated by Li Chuli in celebration of his 100th birthday. A native of Jiangjin in Chongqing, Li was an important figure in the later years of the "Creation Society," dedicated to contemporary literature. Over the years, he collected Chinese antiquities, and, starting in 1983, he and his wife bestowed over 600 items - calligraphy, painting, bronzes, porcelain, Yixing ware, rubbings, etc. -- to the Chongqing Municipal Museum. Among the 238 works of calligraphy and painting, 20 were rated in the first class and 72 in the second class, according to recent assessments by an authentication committee comprising top experts. Notable works include Clear Wind, High Integrity by Xia Chang (1388-1470) and Reminiscing of the Past at Wucheng by Shen Zhou (1427-1509). All in all, the exhibition includes 18 Ming (1368-1644) works, 79 from the Qing (1644-1911), and three dating from the Republican period (1911-1949), with renowned artists of the Ming and Qing periods well-represented. The exhibition will close on 3 August 2000. [Contact us to obtain the full list of works exhibited.]

Exhibition of Replicas of Chinese Antiquities in Chile

In celebration of thirty years of contact between China and Chile, the Chinese embassy in Chile and the Chilean National Gallery of Art coordinated to present the Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Cultural Relics, which opened in the capital city Santiago on 11 May 2000. Bronzes constitute the majority of the 87 works displayed. Also exhibited are reproductions of important pottery, terracotta warriors and horses, and Tang five-color ware. Exhibition of Relics from Mawangdui In conjunction with the 12 April-7 May 2000 Tourism Festival in Kunming, the Hunan Provincial Museum and the Yunnan Provincial Museum jointly organized the exhibition, A Mystical Tomb: Relics from the Han Tomb at Mawangdui. This is the first time the Mawangdui articles have been exhibited in the southwest of China. The 97 objects include lacquer goods, wooden figurines, silk, agricultural products, weapons, maps, coffins, linen books and paintings, and the corpse of the female deceased. From 11 May onwards, the show moved first to the Yuxi Municipal Museum in Yunnan, then to the Sichuan Provincial Museum in June. This traveling exhibition will then proceed to Xi'an, Jiujiang, and other locations.

Liao Tomb Murals from Aohan Exhibited in Baotou, Inner Mongolia

Recently, the Baotou Museum and the Aohan Museum in Chifeng conjointly held an exhibition titled Masterpieces of Wall Painting from the Liao Tomb at Aohan, Inner Mongolia at the Baotou Museum. Aohan lies in the southeastern part of Chifeng City and contains over 3000 sites from ancient civilizations. This exhibition presents for the first time results from salvage excavations of tomb murals, as well as copies of the paintings.

Du Hua, Zhongguo wenwu bao (2 April 2000).

Exhibition of Objects in the Rongbao Studio

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Duoyun Gallery, the Rongbao Studio (Rongbaozhai) in Beijing has selected 80 objects in its collection to for an exhibition in Shanghai, Exhibition of Objects in the Rongbao Studio. This special exhibit was held from 12-18 May in the 4th floor showroom of the Duoyun Gallery. Works ranged in date from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) to the Republican period (1911-1949), mostly painting � landscapes, figure painting, bird-and-flower paintings -- and calligraphy. Paintings such as Official Promotion by Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Hibiscus and Two Fish by Bada Shanren (1625-1705), The World Under Heaven along the Li River by Li Keran attracted the viewers' interest. It was announced that the Duoyun Gallery will organize a reciprocal exhibition in Beijing.

Ma Zhefei, Zhongguo wenwu bao (10 May 2000).

Guangdong Provincial Museum Exhibition Bird and Flower Paintings of the Ming and Qing Travels to Australia

At the invitation of the Art Gallery of New South Wales in Australia, the Guangdong Provincial Museum has loaned the exhibition Chinese Bird and Flower Painting of the Ming and Qing, on display in Sydney from 5 May to 25 June 2000. The 55 paintings include paintings by the Ming artists Bian Jingzhao (active ca. 1426-1435) and Lin Liang (active ca. 1488-1505), and the Qing artists Shitao (1642-1718), Bada Shanren (1625-1705), Zheng Xie (1693-1766), and others.

Jiao Daming, Zhongguo wenwu bao (14 May 2000).

Civilization in the Royal Cities of the Xia and Shang Dynasties in Yanshi and Cultural Relics Stolen from the Tang Dynasty Mausoleum Gongling

These two exhibitions marked the re-opening and renovation of the Shang Cities Museum in Yanshi, Henan Province on 26 April 2000. The first exhibit focused on the remains of the Erlitou-period Xia (ca. 21st-16th c. BC) city of Zhenwei and the Shang (ca. 1600-1045) city of Ximao, reflecting all aspects of Xia and Shang culture -- industry, agriculture, handicrafts, metallurgy, and architecture. In the west wing of the museum, the second exhibition displayed more than 60 objects stolen then recovered from the Tang tomb mound Gongling, including tomb figurines of riders on horseback, polo players, figures holding weaponry, and female riders, all forming a grand processional scene � a refracted view of the brilliance of the High Tang.

Guo Hongtao, Zhongguo wenwu bao (10 May 2000).

Longquan Celadon and Swords Gleam in Hangzhou

Over 300 masterpieces of Longquan celadon and swords ranging from the Northern Song to the present were on display at the Zhejiang Provincial Exhibition Hall in Hangzhou starting on 9 June 2000. Longquan celadon production began in the Jin dynasty (265-420) and flourished during the Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasties. Of all the kiln systems, Longquan has the longest production history and the greatest influence. Longquan ware, with its deep, thick jade-like modelling, the accidental but natural glaze patterning, and an artistic style highly refined yet clear in its simplicity, was enjoyed domestically and overseas. Plum green- and light green-glazed ware manufactured at the Longquan kilns reached a pinnacle in the history of celadon. A concurrent exhibition featured precious swords dating from the Eastern Zhou (770-256 BC) onwards.

Zhejiang ribao (1 June 2000).

Guangdong Painting of the Ming and Qing Dynasties
9 June 2000 to 28 Jan 2001

Featuring 95 works by Guangdong painters from the collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the exhibition is a comprehensive survey of the development of Guangdong painting in the Ming and Qing dynasties beginning with Lin Liang (ca. 1426�ca. 1495), a painter associated with the Imperial Academy of Painting, and ending with Cai Shou (1879 -1941) who survived the dynastic demise and lived into the Republican period to witness the tumultous transformation of Chinese painting in early twentieth century. An exhibition catalogue is available.

A Selection of Chinese Handscroll Paintings from the Xubaizhai Collection of Chinese Painting and Calligraphy
Hong Kong Museum of Art
10 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Ends 30 July 2000

The Exhibition features a selection of about 50 handscroll paintings to introduce the unique mounting format and its tradition. Spatial arrangement of the pictorial surface on a handscroll format can be manipulated with great freedom and imagination. As the painting is unrolled section after section from the right to the left, there is an element of time inherent in the unfolding of the visual narrative. This movement in time and space distinguishes the art of the handscroll. The selection include works by Shen Zhou (1427-1509), Wen Zhengming 1470-1559), Lan Ying (1585-1664), Shitao (1642-1718), Xiao Yuncong (1596-1673, and others. An exhibition catalogue is available.

[upcoming exhibitions and events]

2000 China (Shenyang) Painting and Calligraphy Art Festival
Shenyang, Liaoning
8-12 September 2000

Approximately 2000 ancient and contemporary paintings and calligraphic works, including such treasures as Zhang Xu's Four Copybooks of Ancient Poetry, will be exhibited this September in Shenyang, the capital of Liaoning province. The art festival, the theme of which is "Traditional Chinese Painting and Calligraphy Go Along with Chinese Civilization," is expected to attract 3,000 local and international artists, and will include activities such as seminars and an art fair.

Zhao Gang, China Daily (14 June 2000), 9.

The Painter as Poet
China Institute in America
New York, New York
14 September - 17 December 2000

An exhibition exploring the relationship between poetry and painting in various examples dating from the Song period to the 20th century. The 40 works exhibited will also include woodblock printed rare books and objects with inscribed poems.

http://www.chinainstitute.org

The Embodied Image: Chinese Calligraphy from the John B. Elliott Collection
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, New York
15 September 2000 - 7 January 2001

An exhibition of 55 major examples of Chinese calligraphy from one of the premier collections outside China including works by Zhao Mengfu, Wang Xizhi, Huang Tingjian and Mi Fu and ranging in date from the 3rd century to the modern period.

http://www.metmuseum.org

Circles of Reflection: The Carter Collection of Chinese Bronze Mirrors
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, Ohio
17 September - 26 November 2000

The exhibition comprises more than 90 bronze mirrors, dating from the 4th or 5th century bc to the 19th century. The scope is comprehensive, as the exhibition not only places emphasis upon major epochs such as the Han (206 BC-AD 220) and the Tang (AD 618-907), but also gives an unprecedented degree of exposure for mirrors that were produced in the Song (AD 960-1279) and post-Song periods (1279-1800).

http://www.clemusart.com/home/

A Series of Activities to Promote Loulan Culture in Gansu Discussed

Over the next two years, several activities are planned to encourage research of Loulan history and culture and to promote tourism in the area. Starting in April 2000, experts began inspections in situ to search for useful new threads relating to Loulan culture. Other events include: an exhibition of 140 Loulan cultural relics slated to travel to Hami, Dunhuang, Lanzhou, Xi'an, and other venues; an Internet site featuring the salient features of Loulan culture and its research; and commemorative stamps and postcards with images of important Loulan relics.

Zhang Hongchi, "A Series of Activities to Promote Loulan Culture in Gansu Discussed," Zhongguo wenwu bao (5 April 2000).

Exhibition of Chinese Cave Temple Art Expected in Beijing

In order to display the elegance of cave temple art and to raise popular awareness of cave temple culture, the Cultural Relics Bureau approved the exhibition Chinese Cave Temple Art, co-sponsored by the National History Museum, the China Cultural Relics Institute, the Lu Xun Museum (Beijing), the Dunhuang and Turfan Institutes, along with the support of the Quici Cave Temple Institute (Xinjiang), the Longmen Cave Temple Institute (Henan), the Museum of Carved Rock Art at Dazu (Sichuan). The proposed exhibition is hoped to coincide with the Beijing events commemorating the 100th anniversary of discovering the hidden manuscripts cave at Dunhuang.

Exhibition content will include photographs of the sites, reproductions of wall paintings, and models of cave niches, the first time that such these representative objects of cave temples and cave temple art has been exhibited inside and outside China. Focusing primarily on Kizil (Xinjiang), Dunhuang (Gansu), Yungang (Shanxi), Longmen, Maijishan (Gansu), and Dazu, the exhibition intends to cover the richness of Buddhist religion, history, literature and arts into over the last two thousand years, since the transmission of Buddhism into China. The displays will demonstrate the contributions of Buddhism in Chinese culture � politics, economy, architecture, music, sculpture, painting, dance, clothing, astrology, calendrical systems, literature, calligraphy, and cultural exchanges outside China.

Lu Wen, Zhongguo wenwu bao (5 January 2000).

[museum news]

Ten Best Exhibitions of 1999 Announced

On 23 March 2000, the Cultural Relics Bureau, the China Museum Association and China Cultural Relics News announced the "Ten Best Exhibitions of 1999 within the National Cultural Relics System." The ten awardees were chosen from bids submitted by 38 museums and 45 memorial halls: Exhibition on the Han Tomb of Mancheng at the Hebei Provincial Museum; the Nanjing Museum's fine arts exhibition hall; An Eternal Civilization at the Luoyang (Henan) Museum; Stones Broken, Heaven Distressed - Exhibition of Ancient Cliff Paintings from Inner Mongolia at the Baotou (Inner Mongolia) Museum; The Search for the Origins of Ba and Shu at the Sichuan Provincial Museum; The History and Culture of Tibet at the Tibet Museum; Exhibition on the Remnants from Sun Yatsen's Lifetime at the Sun Yatsen Memorial Hall in Cuiheng, Guangdong; The Fine Art of Packaging in the Qing Dynasty at the Palace Museum (Beijing); Exhibition on Chu and Han Culture in the Jianghan Plain at the Jingzhou (Hubei) Museum; and Exhibition on Tibetan History and Culture at the Xixia (Ningxia) Museum. The following received honorable mentions: Exhibition on the Art of Stone Carving at the Zhengzhou (Henan) Municipal Museum; Exhibition on Bamboo Slip History at Weifang at the Weifang (Shandong) Municipal Museum; Exhibition on the Remains from the Family Compound of Li Hongzhang at the Hefei (Anhui) Municipal Museum; The Culture of an Ancient City at the (Beijing) Capital Museum; and The Natural World of Heilongjiang at the Heilongjiang Provincial Museum.

Tian Yuanxin, Zhongguo wenwu bao (26 March 2000).

New Nanyang Han Pictorial Hall

On 27 December 1999, a newly erected Nanyang Han Pictorial Hall, covering nearly 80 hectares in Wolonggang, Luoyang, opened to the public. The exhibition space is divided by subject matter: agricultural production, architecture, historical tales, spiritual activites, astrology, music/dance/performance, etc. Tne hundred pieces on display date from both the Western and Eastern Han.

"New Nanyang Han Pictorial Hall," Zhongguo wenwu bao 2000:1, 80.

The Poly Art Museum, Beijing

The first museum financed and operated by a state-owned enterprise, in this case the China Poly Group, the Poly Art Museum's hopes to promote the "building-up of culture in the commercial environment" and repatriate Chinese artworks overseas back to China. Occupying the second floor of Poly Plaza in Beijing, the museum currently has bronze vessels and Buddhist art on exhibit. Of note is a Western Zhou (11th c.-771 BC) ding tripod inscribed with the name and title of its owner, Wang Zuo (fig. 1). A special display showcases three bronze animal heads (fig. 2), formerly part of a fountain (fig. 3) depicting the Chinese zodiac at the Yuanmingyuan, but stolen when the old summer palace was "reduced to scorched earth" by British and French troops in 1860. These were purchased at the Hong Kong Christie's and Sotheby's auctions on 30 March and 2 May 2000, after both companies resisted Chinese government pleas to return these national treasures to China.

[All quotations from museum brochures. Readers may wish to purchase the catalogue Selected Bronzes in the Collection of the Poly Art Museum.]

New Gallery at the China National Science Museum Opens to the Public

Part of the China National Science Museum, this new gallery exhibits 250 objects displaying traditional and modern science. The displays introduce Chinese technological development in astrology, astronomy, metallurgy, paper production, printing, textiles, architecture, ceramics, and Chinese medicine.

Guo Guixiang, Zhongguo wenwu bao (19 April 2000).

Book Holdings of Weng Wan'ge Enters Shanghai Library Collection

On 28 April 2000, the expatriate Weng Wan'ge (Wan-go Weng) officially sold the entire Weng family book collection, amassed over the last six generations, to the Shanghai Library -- a total of 80 items (542 individual books), among which 11 sets (156 books) date from the Song dynasty (960-1279). Weng Wan'ge is the fifth-generation grandson of the late Qing official Weng Tonghe, and is a renowned collector of art and letters. This sale was brokered by Guardian Auction Company Limited, and supported and cheered by several experts and scholars, such as Ren Jiyu (former vice-director of Peking University), Zhang Danian (Peking University), Ji Xianlin (former vice-director of Peking University), Zhou Yiliang (Peking University), Qi Gong (renowned calligrapher and connoisseur), Wang Shixiang (expert on furniture), Zhu Jiajin (Palace Museum), Fu Xinian (Chinese Architecture Institute), and Ji Shuying (National Library and Peking University Library). Officials in Shanghai are especially pleased that such treasures, after a sojourn of half a century, can return to its home country.

Ma Zhefei, Zhongguo wenwu bao (17 May 2000).

AUCTION & MARKET NEWS

[recent auctions]

Unremarkable Showing at Sungari Painting and Calligraphy Sale

Sungari's ninth sale of Chinese painting and calligraphy was held on 12 May 2000. On the block were paintings by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Xu Beihong (1895-1953), and other renowned modern artists, as well as works by traditional masters such as Wen Zhengming (1470-1559). The auction netted CNY1,380,000, with a sales ratio of only 46%. High Festival, Long Spring (no. 18) by the contemporary calligrapher Qi Gong attracted the highest bid at CNY60,000.

China Hongxin Auctions Posts Good Results

On 9 May 2000, the China Hongxin spring auctions achieved a 60% sales ratio, with most objects sold in the CNY10000-60000 range. In the ceramics sale, no. 174, a Ming dynasty bronze Buddha, reached the highest price of the auction at CNY825,000. A green bowl decorated with flowers and dragons (no. 4) started with a CNY45,000 estimate that ascended to a CNY101,200 final bid. A pair of large light green porcelain bottles with painted figures (no. 43) also attracted heavy bidding, ultimately selling for CNY121,000. In the paintings sale, Galloping Horse by Xu Beihong (1895-1953) and his oil painting French Scene both took the highest bids at CNY242,000 apiece. A piece of calligraphy by Zhu Zhishan of the Ming (no. 320) fetched CNY181,500, and another by Hongyi Fashi went for CNY132,000.

Zhang Qingfeng, Zhongguo wenwu bao (30 May 2000).

[upcoming auctions]

Beijing Hanhai Spring Auction Preview

Classical Chinese painting has always been Hanhai's specialty, and this spring auction, scheduled for 2 July 2000, similarly has strong offerings likely to re-ignite collectors' passion for traditional arts. In addition, the paintings promise once again to raise the level of authentication debates.

No. 755, a 440 cm-long ink-and-wash handscroll by an anonymous Song artist, has drawn the most interest so far. Nine poems by renowned Tang and Song poets alternate with portraits of the poets in abbreviated landscape settings. Recorded in the first printing of the Qing imperial catalogue, Shiqu baoji, the painting surface also contains nine poems by the Qianlong emperor (r. 1736-1795) and thirty of his seals. Also mounted on the scroll are inscriptions by nine figures from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), including Hu [Yan], Yang Rong, and Yang Shiqi. An estimate was not provided for the work, but it will no doubt attract heated bidding.

The auction catalogue shows nine works by the great Wu School painter Wen Zhengming (1470-1559) and seven works by Dong Qichang (1555-1636) of the late Ming. Other renowned artists represented include Xu Wei (1521-1593), Chen Chun (1483-1544), Chen Jiru (1558-1639), Wen Jia (1501-1583), and Li Zai (active mid-15th c.) of the Ming; Qing painters range from the Four Wangs, Hongren (1610-1664), and members of the Yangzhou and Shanghai Schools. Works of calligraphy by the Qing imperial family �- the emperors Qianlong, Yongzheng, Jiaqing, Empress Dowager Cixi, Prince Cheng, Prince Xian -- are also quite numerous.

Items for sale in the Modern & Contemporary Paintings and Calligraphy auction include works by Qi Baishi (1864-1957), Li Keran (1907-1989), Xu Beihong (1895-1953), and Fu Baoshi (1904-1965). Paintings by Qi Baishi alone number 57.

The Chinese Works of Art sale primarily features ceramics, with over 130 pieces of Ming and Qing imperial ware, most notably a large platter dating from the Yongle reign. Outstanding pieces from the Qing include a pair of polychrome zun embellished with gold from the Qianlong reign, and from the Jiaqing period a 31.5 cm-high polychrome Buddha and a square bottle decorated with gold on yellow ground.

Previews run from 28-30 June, with the auctions scheduled as follows:

1 July: Chinese Modern & Contemporary Paintings and Calligraphy
2 July: Chinese Classical Paintings and Calligraphy
3 July: Chinese Jade Carvings; Chinese Works of Art; Chinese Wooden Furniture

[The Hanhai catalogues for Classical Paintings and Calligraphy and Modern and Contemporary Paintings and Calligraphy are available at www.chinese-artbooks.com.

Rongbaozhai Spring Auctions

The Rongbao Studio (Rongbaozhai) will hold its first auction this spring after having moved to its new location. Previews run from 30 June � 1 July, with the auction scheduled for 2 July.

Panlong Spring 2000 Fine Art Sales

Panlong Enterprises will hold its painting and calligraphy auction on 3 July, followed on 4 July by the auction of ceramics and other Chinese works of art. Readers can refer to the company's website www.paila.com for further information.

Butterfields Fine Asian Works of Art

The Fine Asian Works of Art sale will be held in San Francisco, USA on June 27, 2000. See http://www.butterfields.com for more information.

Sotheby's Sale in Amsterdam

Sotheby's will hold its Chinese and Japanese Ceramics and Works of Art sale in Amsterdam, Holland on June 26, 2000. Auction details can be viewed at http://www.sothebys.com.

Christie's Auctions

The Oriental Ceramics & Works of Art sale will be held in South Kensington, London on July 6, 2000, and also on July 20, 2000. For more information, please visit http://www.christies.com.

Masterpieces from Ancient China (Eskenazi Ltd)

The works in the Masterpieces from Ancient China sale will be exhibited and available for sale until July 8, 2000 at Eskenazi, Ltd., 10 Clifford Street, London.

Arts of Pacific Asia Show

From September 21 to 24, 2000, the Arts of Pacific Asia Show will be held in New York at 69th Regiment Armory, Lexington Avenue. An exhibition and sale of antique Asian artifacts and works of art, it will feature 70 of the world's pre-eminent galleries and dealers showing a wide array of antique Asian treasures including textiles, screens sculptures, jades, bronzes, ceramics, statuary, jewelry, furniture, paintings, and photographs.

CONFERENCES & SYMPOSIA

Sanxingdui Conference

"Yinxu Civilization: International Academic Symposium Commemorating 70 Years Since the Discovery of Sanxingdui" will be held 25 July 2000 in Guanghan, Sichuan.

Courtesy of Elizabeth Childs-Johnson.

Events Commemorating the Discovery of the Hidden Manuscripts Cave at Dunhuang and 100 Years of Dunhuang Studies

On 28 March 2000, the Ministry of Culture, the Gansu provincial government and the Cultural Relics Bureau held an event to commemorate the discovery of the hidden manuscripts cave at Dunhuang and 100 years of Dunhuang studies in the Press Room of the Cultural Relics Bureau in Beijing. The Cultural Relics Bureau director Wen Bin and vice-director Zheng Xinmiao, Gansu Cultural Relics Bureau director Ma Wenzhi, and the Dunhuang Institute director Fan Jinshi all attended. The discussions touched upon future conferences and exhibitions, as well as present-day tourism and economic development at Dunhuang. Future events include a July conference at People's University in Beijing, and a concurrent retrospective exhibition at the National History Museum displaying nearly 300 objects, including a model of Cave 4 and copies of Dunhuang murals and sculptures by artists of different generations and different styles. In the middle or end of June, a conference on preservation and research at Dunhuang and on various aspects of Cave 4 will take place at Dunhuang. Also slated for display are copies of manuscripts lost to British and French collections. On 29 July, scholars from over ten countries will participate in the largest Dunhuang-related symposium to date. Starting in June, Gansu province will also encourage tourism in the area through promotional events.

Yang Fan, Zhongguo wenwu bao (2 April 2000).

Between Han and Tang: Cultural and Artistic Interaction in a Transformative Period

This conference is organized by the Department of Archaeology, Peking University, in conjunction with the University of Chicago, and funded by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. It will be held from 5-9 July 2000 in Room 206, Arthur M. Sackler Museum of Art and Archaeology at Peking University.

Wednesday, July 5

Registration at Resource Hotel, Peking University

Thursday, July 6

8:00-8:30	Opening ceremony, Chair: Li Chongfeng Opening remarks: Wu Hung and Ma Shichang
8:30-11:30	Panel 1: China, Central Asia and the West: New Perspective and Evidence Chair: Yang Hong Zhang Qingjie, "The Sculpted Decoration on the Sarcophagus of Yu Hong from Taiyuan Jiang Boqin, "The Pictorial Program for the Reliefs on the Stone Sarcophagus of Yu Hong" Patricia Karetzky, "The Presence of the Goddess Anahita and the Impact of Western Decorative Arts in Early Medieval China"
14:00-17:00	Panel 2: Regional Cases: Xinjiang and North Central China Chair: Jiang Boqin Valerie Hansen, "Material Remains at Loulan, Niya and Miran: What They Reveal about Local Religious Life" Rong Xinjiang, "A Study of a Zoroastrian Line Drawing from Turfan Kept in the Museum fur Indische Kunst" Shing Muller, "Pingcheng: The Emerging of the Tuoba-Culture in Northern China"
19:00-21:00	Slideshow: The Excavation of Yu Hong�s Sarcophagus at Taiyuan, Shanxi

Friday, July 7

8:30-11:30	Panel 3: Regional Cases: The Northeast and the Northwest Chair: Wu Hung Tian Likun, "Typology and Chronology of the Tombs of the Three-Yan Kingdoms" Zheng Yan, "A Preliminary Study on the Mural-Tombs of the Wei and Jin Periods in the Liangzhou Area" Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, "From Koguryo to Gansu: Funerary and Worship Space in North Asia, 4th-7th Centuries"
14:00-17:00	Panel 4: A Regional Model - Dunhuang As a Cultural "Melting Pot" Chair: Valerie Hansen Ma Shichang, "Exchange, Fusion and Development: Dunhuang Cave 285 As a Case in Point" Wang Hui, "Some Problems Concerning the Tombs Excavated at Foyewan, Dunhuang" Janet Baker, "Dunhuang Caves 419 and 420: Chinese and Central Asian Influences in Style and Content"
19:00-21:00	Videoshow: The Excavation of the Tombs at Foyewan, Dunhuang

Saturday, July 8

8:30-11:30	Panel 5: Rethinking the North-South Relationship: Taking Tombs as a Case in Point Chair: Albert Dien Jessica Rawson, "Creating Universes: Structures, Images and Ornaments of Post-Han Tombs" Zhao Yonghong, "Changes in Burial Customs of the Northern and Southern Dynasties Through the Great Tomb at Wanzhang" Annette Kieser, "Northern Influence in Tombs in Southern China after 317 CE: A Reevalution" Zhang Peng, "Rethinking Dengxian: North-South Artistic Exchange in Funerary Art"
14:00-15:00	Panel 6: Cultural Interaction Through Different Kinds of Art Forms Chair: An Jiayao Judy Chungwa Ho, "Portraying the Family During the Transition Between Han Tang" Li Song, "A Study on a Buddhist-Taoist Cave-Temple of the Western Wei Period at Fudi Reservior, Shanxi"
19:00-21:00	Slideshow: The Excavation of the Great Tomb at Wanzhang, Hebei

Sunday, July 9

8:30-11:30

Panel 7: Artifacts As Transmitter and Evidence of Cultural and Artistic Interaction