Meet the Tang Dynasty Again: Paintings and Calligraphic Works Datable to the High Tang

Editor's note:

China's Best Museum Exhibitions of 2019 Awards were recently unveiled. Twenty-nine winners distinguish themselves in five categories. The annual event, dubbed the Oscar Awards in China's cultural relics realm, has now completed its 17th run since its inception in 1997, receiving 114 applications from various types of museums.

The winning exhibitions cover a wide range of themes, including art, science, history, natural history, and modern revolutionary history, and offer various perspectives on and interpretations of artistic, historical, or scientific collections. Notably, two categories of awards are dedicated to international joint exhibitions to promote cross-cultural understandings between China and the rest of the world.

The exhibition in Shenyang -- Meet the Tang Dynasty Again: Paintings and Calligraphic Works Datable to the High Tang won the "Distinguished" Award.

Meet the Tang Dynasty Again: Paintings and Calligraphic Works Datable to the High Tang

又見大唐

Dates: Oct 7, 2019 - Jan 12, 2020

Location: Liaoning Provincial Museum, Shenyang city, Liaoning province

This is the first thematic exhibition to present the brilliance of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) using calligraphy and paintings. It not only presents the majestic spirit of politics, economy, culture, art and national integration that characterize the heyday of the dynasty, but also uses the past as a metaphor for the present. There are novel designs and a mass of national treasures for visitors to feast their eyes on. The exhibition incorporates the latest concepts and styles, telling stories through cultural relics in a chronological sequence, which makes it popular among visitors and truly brings the cultural relics to life.

Visitors study exhibits in the gallery [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibition takes calligraphy and painting as indicative works which demonstrated the booming economy and prosperous society, open and inclusive nation, and diversified culture of the Tang Dynasty. At the same time, it pays attention to the present, and creates a dialogue between ancient and modern times, in order to revisit the history of the Tang Dynasty with a strong sense of immersion.

A corner of the exhibition gallery [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibits are mainly paintings and calligraphies of - or related to- the Tang Dynasty from permanent collections of the Liaoning Provincial Museum, supplemented by various kinds of cultural relics such as gold ware, tricolor ware, wood ware and sculptures. Of the 100 exhibits, 94 percent are precious cultural relics, including the legendary paintings Court Ladies Wearing Flower Headdresses and Spring Outing of the Lady of the State of Guo, and calligraphic masterpieces by Tang Dynasty masters, which represent the spirit and charm of the Tang Dynasty.

Calligraphic works of the Tang Dynasty in the gallery [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]