Edition: English | 中文简体 | 中文繁体 Монгол
Homepage > Culture Video

800 Years and four dynasties on display

Reporter: Mark Niu 丨 CCTV.com

07-02-2016 00:10 BJT

Over in San Francisco, California, thousands of people are flocking to see a Chinese Art Exhibition called 'The Emperors’ Treasures'. One of the items has even inspired The Asian Art Museum to team up with local restaurants. Experts say the collection is both stunning in value and cultural significance.

Inside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, art lovers are getting a rare opportunity to see a collection covering 800 years, four dynasties, eight emperors and one Empress.

"The Asian Art Museum is having a wonderful art exhibition called the Emperor’s Treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Taipei. It is the Imperial Collection, the best of the best. The design principles for this exhibition are to humanize the emperors, to engage our audience to have a one-one-one encounter," said Hay Xu, director of Asian Art Museum.

Inside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, art lovers are getting a rare opportunity to see a collection covering 800 years, four dynasties, eight emperors and one Empress.

Inside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, art lovers are getting a rare opportunity to see a collection covering 800 years, four dynasties, eight emperors and one Empress.

Of the more than 180 items, 100 have never been shown in the United States.

From the Song Dynasty, a slender-gold style of calligraphy from the Emperor Huizong and a pillow in the shape of a reclining boy.

From the Yuan Dynasty, belt ornaments in the shape of wild-geese and dragons.

"It’s just amazing that all the emperors have all this respect for art. And artisans have chosen to represent their courts," said Sandy Simon, Art Gallery owner.

Perhaps the item with the most flavor, is the Qing Dynasty’s meat-shaped stone.

The artist managed to transform a cold, hard piece of rock into a seemingly tender, succulent piece of fatty pork, or Dongpuo ruo.

"It’s unusual in my experience to have a piece of art that is a portrait of meat. So we’ve go this pork sculpture back here and it’s beautiful. It’s made me a little bit hungry too," said Marc Dickey, visitor.

The Asian Art Museum anticipated the appetite for the meat shaped stone and even came up with a clever marketing twist. Twelve local San Francisco restaurants have teamed up with the museum to create their versions of Dongpuo ruo, or pork belly. If I purchase the dish I get a pin that tells me I get a 20% discount on the exhibit, so I am eating all in the name of art.

While the collection stretches back centuries, the Asian Art Museum’s director says it’s both timeless and trendy.

Inside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, art lovers are getting a rare opportunity to see a collection covering 800 years, four dynasties, eight emperors and one Empress.

Inside the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, art lovers are getting a rare opportunity to see a collection covering 800 years, four dynasties, eight emperors and one Empress.

"One rich sampling in this show is monochrome, those ceramic porcelain of a single color, today we have it at the fashion stores -- Hermes, Louis Vuitton and others -- I can tell you all the fashionable single colors in the world we have already we invented by the 18th century in China," Jay Xu said.

The value is hard to put a price tag on, but if you do, look out.

This is a Ming Dynasty wine cup with a chicken design.

Two years ago, in a bidding war at a Hong Kong auction, a Chinese buyer purchased a similar one for 36.3 million US dollars.

So adding up all the art on display, Xu says the value in both monetary and cultural terms is priceless.

Follow us on

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Instagram

  • Please scan the QR Code to follow us on Wechat