16 November 2017 / leggypeggy

Shanghai Museum loaded with style

art, artworks, ceramics, furniture, museums, sculpture, Shanghai

From about 500BC

Between 200BC and 8AD

Container with eight yaks

Visiting the Shanghai Museum was one of the rewarding things we did during our short stay in that southern Chinese city.

Founded in 1952, the museum displays some of the country’s most magnificent ancient art.

We were absolutely gobsmacked by the bronzes. We’ve seen bronze all over the world, but the Chinese craftsmanship takes their pieces to new levels of creativity and detail.

Seriously, as we walked from piece to piece, Poor John and I kept commenting on how fine the work was. All the pics directly above this paragraph are of wine or food vessels. How’s that for style!

But the quality wasn’t limited to the bronzes. The museum has 11 permanent galleries and three set aside for temporary exhibitions. The permanent galleries feature items such as ceramics, furniture, sculptures, textiles, paintings, coins, calligraphy, seals and more.

Seal (size of small toe)

Mask

Ornament

We were intrigued to learn how the early collections were acquired.

During the civil war, the Communist 3rd Field Army gathered artefacts through accidental finds and confiscation of private property. These items came Shanghai when the Communists took the city. The local customs service confiscated other items. Finally, during political purges and under political pressure, private collectors sold some of their cherished possessions to the government.

Heavenly guardian

On the phone?

Old Mother Hubbard?

Later acquisitions weren’t quite as dramatic. That said, the museum ‘rescued’ a lot of bronzeware that was due to be melted down after being confiscated or donated during a metal-gathering campaign in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Before the Cultural Revolution, which began in 1966, wealthy Shanghai collectors had a tradition of making annual donations to the museum.

Office furniture

Lacquer table and chairs

Today the collections continue to be enriched thorough donations, government purchases and important finds from archaeological excavations.

I’ve had a terrible time trying to decide which pictures to share. The works are so numerous and so amazing, that I have overdone it. Hope you enjoy it half as much as we did.

Do you have a favourite piece?