A future-proof view of past glories

"The catalog offers a glimpse of the collections at home, and also documents divided opinions among those prominent experts," Jin says. "Years have passed. New technologies are in hand to offer help for authentication and preservation; deepening exchanges between China and the world have allowed us to learn more about the collections of Chinese art abroad."

He says that thanks to communication with scholars in different countries and their connections with museums, the team was able to access overseas collections of Chinese art, some of which were previously known to very few.

Foreign museums involved include those that have been well-known for their diverse assemblages of Chinese art, such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio in the United States, and the British Museum in London. There are also lesser-known collections, such as the one at Chion-in Temple in Kyoto, Japan, which houses paintings of noted Ming-era artist Qiu Ying.

"We have relied on the fruitful work of our predecessors. Meanwhile, we hope our work will benefit researchers today and in the future," Jin says. "More importantly, what we've done is to build a national archive available for the younger generation, so that they will be proud of their country and cultural roots."