I spent half a day at the Asian Civilisations Museum at Empress Place today. The headlining exhibit this time is the 'Mystery Men' exhibit that, according to Wikipedia, had taken the world by storm. The artifacts appeared unique and unrelated to other Bronze Age sites in China, or for that matter, around the world. A unique culture?
Here is a bronze exhibit. I took this headpiece accidentally with a flash while I fiddled with my sister's camera. One should not use a flash for these bronze artifacts. Sadly, I did not see a few of the bigger pieces. Where they brought over here? I suspect not. Pity.
On the other hand, the brochures are free game for flash photography. Okay, the exhibits are mainly concerned with an unusual find, known as the 'Sanxingdui' or Three Star Mound.
The finds at the Sanxingdu are those of a neolithic or Bronze Age culture 3,200 years ago in Sichuan. This dispelled the notion that Neolithic and Bronze Age civilisation only existed around a single site in China, namely, the Yellow River. The site at Sanxingdu was part of the Shu Kingdom until its conquest by the Qin.
Links from Wikipedia
Historical Wonders of Sanxingdui, China Internet Information Center
More About the Finds at Sanxingdui, National Gallery of Art
Riddle from the Ancient Past: The Mysteries of Sanxingdui, Taiwan Panorama
Sanxingdui Museum, Guanghan Sichuan
Treasures from a Lost Civilization: Ancient Chinese Art from Sichuan, Seattle Art Museum
Well, this exhibition was certainly worth a look. The visual aspect was certainly intriguing.
No comments:
Post a Comment