Introduction of China Cultural Relics in British Museum

The short play Escape from the British Museum, which is popular on the Internet, tells the story of a small jade pot in China. After escaping from the British Museum, he met a China reporter on the street in England and asked him for help on a long journey home. This short play has only three episodes, but it has touched the hearts of countless audiences and made people rethink the ownership of cultural relics and the protection of cultural heritage. Next, let's take a look at China's cultural relics in the British Museum.

There are about 23,000 China cultural relics in the British Museum. China cultural relics are introduced at the entrance of Hall 33. The first sentence reads: "The people of China have created the most extensive and oldest civilization in the world." We don't have to go to the British Museum, but you must know the national treasure China!

A picture of women's history

6th-8th century A.D.

A Picture of Women's History is the earliest and best copy of Gu Kaizhi's paintings from the 6th century to the 8th century (about 345-406 AD). This painting is the work of Gu Kaizhi, an ancient painter in China. It is considered as one of the earliest scroll paintings in the world and a rare national treasure. The original has long been lost. There are two existing paintings, Tang Ben, which is recognized as the closest to the original painting style, is in the British Museum, and Song Ben is in the Palace Museum. Painting is a description of the life and behavior norms of ancient court women, which has high artistic value and historical significance.

Exhibition time: 9 1, 2023, 65438+1October 5-1October 65438+May 5/kloc-0.

Bronze double sheep statue

13-12nd century BC

Shang bronzes are representative works of Chinese bronzes, and only two of them have been lost abroad. This one was taken away by the British in the British Museum when the Yuanmingyuan was burned down, and the other one was hidden in the Jingen Art Museum in Japan. The bronze statue is two conjoined rams with ten exquisite carvings. In ancient Chinese, "sheep" and "incense" are interlinked. Therefore, auspicious sheep will be seen on many stones and cultural relics in Zhong Ding. Shuangyang Zun attracted many audiences with its unique shape and exquisite ornamentation. This statue is not only of great archaeological and appreciation value, but also has only one piece left, which is one of the top ten treasures of the British Museum.

Exhibition time: Hall 33.

Cloisonne porcelain altar

AD 1426- 1435

The altar body and lid are decorated with obvious dragon patterns and jade seals, and the six-character logo marked with cloisonne craft is the characteristic of Xuande porcelain. Today, there are only two cloisonne porcelain altars in the world with such covers, one in the British Museum and the other in a private collection.

Exhibition time: Hall 33.

Liao tricai Luohan statue

1 1 15- 1234

There are 16 life-size Luohan statues in Emei Temple, Bai Yushan, Yixian County, Hebei Province, which are considered to be comparable to any sculpture handed down in the West. At present, all the statues of 10 have been lost overseas, including one in the British Museum.

Exhibition time: Hall 33.

20 pieces of dragon glass

AD 1465- 1600。

These stained glass used to be decorations on the roofs of temples in Shanxi Province, China. The information in the museum implicitly explains: At the beginning of the 20th century, during the chaotic period of the collapse of the last imperial dynasty in China, the coloured glaze was removed from its original site and came to Britain, where it was finally protected as a siding.

Exhibition time: Hall 33.

Dragon pattern blue and white plum blossom bottle

1330- 1368

Yuan blue-and-white plum vase with cloud dragon pattern, also known as "plum vase", is the full name of the plum vase with blue-and-white cloud dragon pattern in Jingdezhen kiln in the 11th year of Yuan Dynasty. Two pieces of * * * were produced in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, China, and were fired in the period from Yuan Dynasty to Mindfulness, namely 135 1 year. This pair of vases is one of the important blue and white porcelain samples of drunkenness, and it is also a famous drunken porcelain bottle in the world. The external wall is dominated by cloud dragon patterns, with cloud shoulder patterns and lotus petals. In China, the dragon is a beast, which can stimulate sexual desire, benefit all things and make the weather favorable. Later, it gradually evolved into a symbol of imperial power.

Exhibition time: Changjiu Hall 33

Personal experience: The China cultural relics exhibited in the British Museum are just the tip of the iceberg. Babies can take a short vacation if they are interested. They must go to the British Museum to see these precious cultural relics and feel the charm of China culture!

PS: Museum opening hours: daily:10.00–17.00 (Friday: 20.30); Final admission time: 16.00 (Friday: 19.30).