Filed under Gal About Town, Uncategorized
China Institute
Along the Yangzi River:
Regional Culture of the Bronze Age from Hunan
China Institute in America
25 East 65th St, between Lexington and Park Avenues
Review by Patricia Karetzky
January 27, 2011 – June 12, 2011
Bronze Elephant
The China Institute is once again hosting a marvelous exhibition of the most precious objects lent from China. These ancient bronzes from the Hunan Provincial Museum are over three thousand years old. Beautiful and skillfully crafted, the bronze vessels, which represent a regional culture of the south, are a unique interpretation of local beliefs and decorative preferences. The rare elephant-shaped container, nearly 9 inches tall, is encrusted with a design comprising dozens of animals, making it especially fit for ritual use–it is a sort of gravy boat fashioned to hold liquids in its wide body with a lid and its trunk is the spout. A square bronze vessel nearly 16 inches tall has on each of its long sides, the image of a human face that menacingly looks out at the viewer. In addition there are dozens of finely crafted articles for the heating, mixing and drinking of wine as well as an assortment of tripods and large bowls for the preparation and serving of food. Several large size bells are also on view. In the darkly lit gallery, these ritual articles provide a real insight into the nature of sacred rituals in ancient China.
