***********************************************************
The Ming dynasty, the last unified dynasty in China ruled by the Han Chinese, was a golden age of Chinese art and culture. "The Radiant Ming 1368-1644 through the Min Chiu Society Collection", the grand finale exhibition for this year at the Hong Kong Museum of History, will be held from tomorrow (December 16) to April 11 next year. Members of the public can explore this resplendent and diverse culture, as well as the high degree of artistic standards that typified the Ming dynasty, through 300 sets of valuable and varied relics.
Officiating at the opening ceremony today (December 15), the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Carrie Lam, said that apart from organising academic seminars, appreciation of artefacts and academic exchange activities, the Min Chiu Society often generously loans out previous collections to local and overseas museums for exhibitions. Its far-reaching influence to museum and artefacts appreciation, its achievement and contribution are highly-recognised by both local and international collectors.
Among the many dynasties in Chinese history, the Ming is famous for its prosperous economy. As a consequence its handicraft and commercial industries were well developed. The pursuit of tastes and exquisite lifestyle by literati or common people was a major feature of the Ming dynasty.
Recent years have witnessed a revival in the study of Ming history. Thus, the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Min Chiu Society have taken the opportunity to display about 300 sets of items from the collections of members of the Society, including porcelain, lacquer ware, cloisonnˆm, furniture, paintings and all kinds of artefacts, to reveal the rich history and culture of the Ming dynasty from perspectives encompassing politics, economy, culture, art, religion and foreign relations, to enrich visitors' understanding of the Ming and Chinese cultures.
Highlights include imperial porcelains and lacquers, porcelains and gilt metal wares with a strong Arabic flavour and varied religious characteristics, precisely shaped Ming-style furniture, magnificent textiles, exquisite openwork jade belt plaques, paintings and calligraphies of the "Four Literary Masters of the Wuzhong Region (Suzhou)", and scholarly objects epitomising the tastes of the literati.
Ming-style furniture, known for its unique form and charm, has been hailed as a technological pinnacle of ancient Chinese furniture. It also epitomised the artistic scene, which was dominated by the Ming literati. The exhibition will include a special multi-media demonstration zone whereby, through different projections based on paintings and woodblock illustrations, visitors will be able to appreciate the use of Ming furniture as well as the appearance of a typical Ming house.
Other officiating guests were the Chairman of the Min Chiu Society, Mr Frank Chan; the Former Chairman of the Min Chiu Society, Mr Frank Wu; the Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Mr Michael Lee; the Chairman of the History Museum Advisory Panel, Mr Stanley Wong; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of History, Ms Belinda Wong.
A multi-media programme will also be presented, using animation and panoramic scenes to display detailed porcelain patterns including those of dragons, dragons and phoenixes, and the local scenery, enabling the visitors to know more about the patterns on the porcelain.
The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Min Chiu Society, and co-organised by the Min Chiu Society and the Hong Kong Museum of History. Solely sponsored by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, it is one of the exhibitions in the 2015/16 Hong Kong Jockey Club Series.
For more exhibition details, please visit the museum's website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/History/en_US/web/mh/exhibition/current.html or call 2724 9042 for enquiries.
Under the "Appreciate Hong Kong" Campaign, all museums of the LCSD will offer free admission for the month of January 2016 in order to encourage more visits to museums - where experiences of creativity, enjoyment and inspiration await.
Ends/Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Issued at HKT 18:06
NNNN
