苏州博物馆英文讲解稿
开场白Opening:
Hello everyone! Welcome to Suzhou Museum.Before we start the tour, please turn off your photoflash light for thepurpose of protecting our artifacts. Thank you!
SuzhouMuseum is designed by Mr. I. M. Pei, a renownedarchitect worldwide. He spent his childhood inSuzhou before studying architecture in the United States whenhe turned 17. Mr. Pei has designed and built manyexcellent works around the world. He is an expert in geometricstructure design and lighting. One of his famous remarks is “Letthe light do the design”. In order to preserve the elements ofthe Suzhou traditional architecture, he integrated many features into thedesign of the Museum. Suzhou Museum was open on October 6th,2006. His proud comment was, ‘Itis not too big, not too small, and not to stand out. It is an integration ofcontemporary and tradition ’.
TheMuseum faces south, which is in line with the Chineseculture. It consists of three parts. The middle includes the entrance, lobby and beautifulgarden in front of you. The main exhibition area is locatedon the west. And, the east part is primarily for temporary exhibitionsand administration.
Sincewe are now in the lobby, let’s take a lookof the roof. The framework is made up of triangles and quadrangles,forming an impressive geometric pattern. In addition, Mr.Pei used the modern glass material to build the skylight insteadof the traditional ceiling. How clever it is to borrow thenatural light to make the hallway as bright as it can be. This truly reflectswhat Mr. Pei’s advocates, ‘let the light do the design’!
(1)片石假山Rock landscapein the Museum Garden
It is a popularpractice to use rockeries in the design ofthe traditional Suzhou gardens. But the most impressive onebelongs to what Mr. Pei had built for the Museum; apicturesque mountain landscape. The design took advantageof the white wall of the Humble Administrator’s Garden as thecanvas, the rocks were sliced into piecesand carefully placed right in front of the wall. In fact,this design was inspired by a piece of work by Mifu, anoutstanding artist in Song Dynasty. If it were rainingtoday, the landscape would look exactly like a mistyChinese ink painting on the wall.
(2)西廊
Thewest corridor is the connection between the lobby and the main exhibition area.The roof is built with metal sunscreen and triangular frames. All light goingthrough the metal sunscreens becomes more natural and soft. While the sunmoves, you can’t help being impressed by the changing graphic designs of thelight and the shadow reflecting on the ground and walls.
(3)连接词1
Now, pleasefollow me to the main exhibition area. Since the Museumwas founded in 1960, it has collected more than 30,000 culturalrelics and is best known for the pagoda relics, paintings andcalligraphy from Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well asancient arts and crafts. There are 4 galleries in the mainexhibition area, namely, ‘Treasures of the Wu Culture’, ‘Treasures fromthe Wu Pagoda’, ’Paintings and Calligraphy of the Wu School’, and ‘Elegance ofthe Wu Kingdom’. (Names to be doublechecked)
(4)吴地遗珍综述
We’ll firstvisit the gallery of “Treasures from Wu Culture”, which housesprimarily unearthed relics dated from the Neolithic periodto Yuan and Ming Dynasties.
(5)晨光熹微综述
Suzhou islocated in the east of Taihu plain by the Yangtze River delta.The earliest Neolithic sites were estimated to be 10,000years old.
Avariety of cultures were developed by the residents with their owncharacteristics.
Amongthem, Liangzhu Culture (2,500 B.C.) wasthe most important, and known for their pottery and jade works.I will share more with you later.
(6)玉琮Jade Cong
Thisjade ware is called Cong, unearthed fromCaoxieshan located in the Suzhou Industry Park. Jade workswas discovered as early as the Liangzhu Culture during theNeolithic period.People at thetime lived in Jiangsu Province around 2,500 BC. Their jades, ceramics and stonetools were quite remarkable.
Cong looks like a square tubeoutside, but the inside is more like a cylinder. This Cong is 31.6cm in height. The surface isdivided into 12 sections. It wasconsidered by the Neolithic people that the square represented the earth andthe circle, the heaven.
Jade Cong appears to be a ritual object, yetthe very original function is not clear.
(7)耘田器Stone Plough
This wasthe stoneware from the Liangzhu Culture during the Neolithic period(2,500 BC), unearthed from Yuecheng in the city of Suzhou. Itwas cleverly made in stone of fine quality. The hole appears to be used to installbamboo or wooden handle. A sharp blade having been grinded intensively nowshows signs of corrosion might be caused by repeated use. Plough was a farmtool for weeding, created 4,000 years ago, giving us the clue how people backthen had learned to effectively cultivate the fields and, theagricultural economy in Taihu lake basin was already quite developed.
(8)争伯春秋综述
(Let’s say goodbye to the New Stone Age,) 2,500years ago, Suzhou was the capital of the Wu kingdom duringso-called the Spring and Autumn period. It was a time ofgreat turbulence and transition in the Chinese history. Suzhou was one of themost visible cities in this period. Manyexquisite bronze ware and jade ware excavated from that periodspeaks for itself.
(9)铜鼎Ding :
This is a bronze ding, also calledtripod, unearthed from a grave near Tiger Hill in Suzhou. The grave was built in East Zhou Dynasty, 700to 200BC. This three-legged ancient Chinese cookingvessel plays a significant role among all bronzeritual vessels. In the ancient society, ‘Ding’ used toindicate the power and status of the nobles.
This Ding, we are looking at, is around one. On the lid, there are threemythical animals standing. The main part is decorated with spiralpatterns. At the bottom, you’ll notice the burned marks, likelyby fire. Interestingly enough, when the Ding was unearthed, therewere bones in it. Later they were identified by the ShanghaiNature Museum as pig bones.
(10)玉敛葬饰件 The jade funerary garment with ornaments:
Thisgarment with ornaments for the deceasedwas unearthed from a grave built during the Wu Kingdom 700 to 200 BC.It is made up of four parts; jade mask for the face, jade covering forthe chest, jade covering for the waist below, and last but not least, thecovering identifying that the deceased is a gentleman.
Let’sfirst look at the components of the jade mask; thesetiger-shaped cover the eyebrows. Those arched ones cover the eyes. I am sure you can easily guess the remainingpieces what they are for, the nose, and the cheeks. This little piece, however, is tobe left in his mouth.
Theentire covering, we may also call it ‘garment’, for the upper body is made ofred agates, turquoises and crystals, which are threaded by silk strings. The lower garment is made almost the same wayexcept it is all jade in different colors.
The covering for the man suggests how thepeople back then worshiped only their male ancestors. It was also their belief that the deceasedwould not perish if his body was covered with jade.
(11)玉扳指Jade thumb ring
This is a ring fromthe Warring States Period (476-221BC). It was excavated fromthe Zhenshan Tomb located in Suzhou, in 1964. The ringis in creamy green color, very smooth on the surface. Such a ring was used, a very long timeago, to protect the warrior’s thumb when they shotarrows. They normally wore it on the right finger.Later it became more as an ornament.
(12)锦绣江南综述
Nowlet’s look at a few typical handicraftsfrom Han to Tang Dynasties (140 BC - 907AD), nearly athousand years of history. The flourished agriculture helped promotemany industries, such as sericulture, silk-woven, metallurgy shipbuilding, andporcelain making. Especially when the Grand Canalwas completed in Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.), Suzhou happenedto be strategically located on the major trade route. Thus, Suzhou has been ametropolis of industry and commerce on the southeastern of China sincethen.
(13) 五连罐Pentad jar
The pentad jar was excavated in the tomb of Sun Jianand Sun Ce, who were the emperors of Dongwu in the periodof Three Kingdoms (220 A.D. - 265 A.D.).
Pentad jar was first discovered in the secondcentury. Several hundred years later, people starteddecorating the surface with pavilions, birds, animals, andlittle figurines on the top of the cover. It was also called “SoulJar”.
In fact, it was as a ceramicfunerary ware to keep food for the diseased.
Some soul jars have inscriptions indicatingwhen and where the jar was made in addition to the auspiciouswishes.
(14) 金龙 Gold dragon
Thisgold dragon is a relic from Tang Dynasty, excavated from the LinwuCave in Xishan (West Hill), Suzhou. It is in standingposition, light posture, tender expression amd with scales all over the body.The design has a pleasing symmetry in a folding style.
LinwuCave is known for its stone forest and its flat roof-like top.The cave was first discovered in the second century. During Tangand Song dynasties,Taoism was very popularin China and the Linwu Cave became a holy place to the Taoists. Legendhas it that the emperors would send the envoy to deliver the golddragon and jade tablet to the cave.
(15) 三彩鸳鸯扁壶 Tricolor flask with mandarinduck pottery
Aflask in tricolor with loon
The flat pot we are looking atwas created in Tang Dynasty, around 1,300 yearsago. It is covered with three colors; yellow, green and white. Hence,another name for this type of pottery is ‘Tang tri-color’.
Are you curious about the usage ofthe pot? The pot is funerary object and it was buried along with the deceased.
The development circle for the TangTri-Color was somewhat brief; only a few hundred years from its invention toits disappearance. And, it is arare find in the southern region in China.
(16)都会流韵综述
Thisroom is designated for the display of the relics excavatedfrom the Cao family tomb in late Yuan Dynasty, and the Wangxijue’s inlate Ming Dynasty. The collections include clothing, headgear, jewelry,accessories, embroideries, and furniture, etc. from everyday life.
(17) 展厅南半室 the southern gallery
The relics in this gallery werediscovered from Wang Xijue's tomb. Wang Xijue was one of the topofficials from Ming Dynasty. Hisposition was equivalent to today’s prime minister. So, the objects buried in Wang's tombare refined and significant. This set of miniature furniture tells us what theyhad and how they lived in the house. Asyou can see, the overall design is simple but elegant. It also provides our furniture research aninsight on how the furniture looked 600 years ago in Ming Dynasty. The coronet and the jadeadornments excavated from the tomb also provideevidence to the advanced handicraft art back then.
(18)展厅北半室 the northern gallery
The funerary objects displayedin this gallery were excavated from Cao Taifei'stomb. Her son, Zhang Shicheng was a leader of the peasant revolt at the end ofYuan dynasty. Zhang launched a successful revolt and took over the city ofSuzhou. He then ruled Suzhou for 12 years. However, he was eventuallydefeated by Zhu Yuanzhang. The tomb of Zhang's mother was builtin royal standard. The gold and silver adornments excavated fromthe tomb are the typical representation of the SuZhou gold and silverwares.
(19)银奁 Thesilver case
The silver case was unearthed from thetomb of Zhang shicheng’s mother. Zhang once was the Emperor of Suzhou in YuanDynasty. This six-disc sunflower shaped case was made of pure silver. It can bedivided into three compartments, connected by clasps.The surface and body are engraved with decorative patterns such as peony,sunflower and woodbine. Underneath is a tray. Ondisplay was a set of articles for everyday use, such as hairbrush,powder box, scissors and a silver mirror, 24 articles in total. The mirror stillworks as of today. The two pairs of scissors shapejust like the modern ones. The detailed work on thesilver case is exquisite. You can tell that the maker was ahighly skillful craftsman, and this case was well enjoyedby its master.
(20)银镜架 The silver mirror bracket
It was unearthed outside ofthe Pan Gate of Suzhou in 1964. The mirrorwas kept in the silver case, which we just looked at moments ago.It is also made in silver supported by twobrackets, front and back. It was designed with ingenious concept alongwith skillful hammering and hollow engraving. The look isexquisite and easy for handling as well as storing. With the engravingof loons, phoenix and magpies as decorations, all symbolizesgood fortune.
(21)吴塔国宝综述
We are exploringthe second section of the exhibits. On display in thesegalleries are the National treasures discovered from RuiguangPagoda and Huqiu Pagoda, built in Song Dynasty. Suzhou’s economyflourished in this period, and the region became so well knownthat a famous expression was emerged; “Thereis Heaven above, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth”.
(22)塔放瑞光综述
Haveyou noticed an interesting detail in thisgallery? The structure is quite different from all others. It is inoctagonal shape; built like the traditional pagoda. Mr. Peiintentionally wanted us to experience a virtual pagoda around us while enjoyingthe relics.
Ruiguang Pagodawas built in 247AD and renovated later during Song Dynasty. Manypriceless relics were discovered on the third floor ofthe pagoda in 1978. The most significant one is thePearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine.
(23) 真珠舍利宝幢
PearlPillar of the Buddhist Shrine
The Pearl Pillar ofthe Buddhist Shrine, a very precious Buddhist artwork, that was dated backnearly thousand years from now, was created in Northern Song Dynasty. Thiscreation combined various Chinese traditional craftwork techniques such ascarving, painting with gold lines, weaving with gold and silver thread, andjewelry inlay craftsmanship etc. A combination of such work is rare as itdisplays ingenuity, rich connotation, expensive materials, and excellence incraftsmanship. It is regarded as a rarity of Northern Song Dynasty, andwas classified as the national treasure in 1993.
In 1978, three kidsaccidentally found the valuable Buddhist relics in Suzhou Ruiguang Pagoda.Among several ancient engraved sutras and pieces of handicrafts, the PearlPillar of the Buddhist Shrine is the most appealing of the excavation.
The structure ofPearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine is ingenious. Its design embodiesBuddhism's view of the world, and their grand mythical world. The overallheight of Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine is 122.6cm. It consists of threesections: the Buddhist Mount Sumeru, Dhvaja, and Finial. Thebase, the Buddhist Mount Sumeru, is an octagon-shaped platformrepresenting the Buddhism's eight-phased-sky. There are three layers of theBuddhist Mount Sumeru. Each layer consists of 8 sides; each corner arecovered with different lacquer patterns and surrounded with 8 silver lions. Thecinnabar lacquer relic in gold tracery gives us the impression of the profoundrespect for Buddhism.
The top portion ofthe base is a platform, surrounded with sandalwood carving techniques. In themiddle of the Buddhist Mount Sumeru, this mushroom-likemountain is surrounded by sea, which implies Buddhism's 9 mountains and 8seas. Above the sea level there are 8 auspicious clouds, and on top of themstand Four Devarajas (heavenly guardians) and Four Apsaras besidethem. In addition, there are Eight Tutelaries on the top carved withsandalwood; the legendary deities of Buddhism.
The Dhvaja issurrounded by 8 pillars and covered by a roof, which are wovenby gold-and-silver threads. There are also many pearls and gemsembellished on the top of the roof. The Buddhist Canopy sitting above isstringed with jewelry. At the head of the Buddhist Canopy, there is atranslucent crystal symbolizing the purity of Buddhism.
Nowadays thisexquisite piece of art is like a luminous pearl shining uniquely over thisbeautiful, ancient, and civilized city, Suzhou.
(24) 银杏木彩绘四大天王像内函
Wooden case for the Pearl Pillar of theBuddhist Shrine
The Pearl Pillar of the Buddhist Shrine onyour right, stored in this wooden case, wasfound on the third floor of Ruiguang Pagoda in 1978.
This inner casewas made of Ginkgo wood with five layers. Though weare not able to see it, but inside the case, a date was marked so that wecan tell the case was made around a thousand years ago. The Four warriorsare the guards of Buddha. Each oneof them painted on each side of the case, represents the powerful ‘king’ fromall four directions. Each has a specific title in Indian language which Icannot say properly.
The colors ofthe painting are still vivid even after a thousand years, soare the expressions of the guards.
This type of religionpainting was very popular in Tang and Song dynasties (600~1200AD). Around 900AD, Buddhism was booming inthis area as well as the arts of Buddhism. The paintings on this case although wasdone in Song dynasty, it certainly carried on the characteristics of themasters from Tang dynasty, providing us a valuable historical track of theChinese paintings.
（25）宝藏虎丘综述
The relics inthis gallery were discovered from Huqiu Pagoda, which is over a thousand yearsold. The temple is located on top of Suzhou’s Tiger Hill and with itsextraordinary construction and important relics, Huqiu Pagoda is the symbol andpride of Suzhou. In 1956, extensive restoration efforts were made to stabilizethe leaning structure. During this restoration, we discovered many importantartifacts, the most extraordinary is a lotus-flower-shaped bowl.
(26)秘色瓷莲花碗 OliveGreen Lotus-Shaped Bowl from the Five Dynasties
Now we are in the gallery of Treasures discoveredfrom Tiger Hill Pagoda.
Suzhou is a2500 year-old city with many fancy ancient pagodas and temples.Tiger Hill Pagoda, was built in 959AD. It is not only a well-knownlandmark of Suzhou City, but also nicknamed, “LeaningTower of China”.
This Olive Green Lotus-shaped Bowl createdduring the Five Dynasties, almost a thousand years ago, is one of themost precious collections in Suzhou Museum. It was discovered on the third floorof the Yunyan Pagoda in 1957. It is composed of a bowl and a saucer. The designof the shallow-relief lotus-petal isvisible on the face of the bowl and saucer, but overlapped on the ring foot.The look is cunning and the shape is just like ablooming lotus, so exquisite. You know what? Lotus is a popular subjectin the writings among many Chinese scholars, and a spiritualsymbol in Buddhism.
It might well berecognized as the standard for the olive green porcelain in the FiveDynasties. In 1995, this lotus bowlwas classified as one of the most outstanding piece among all greenporcelains. It was again being definedas a National Treasure. Therefore, thesignificance of this jade-like lotus bowl is beyond measurement, and pricelessin value.
（27）吴中风雅综述
The growth ofcommerce and industry continued during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and led toSuzhou’s emergence as one of China’s most famous economic and cultural centers,becoming known as the “Metropolis of the Southeast”. The following exhibitiondisplays artifacts and relics in this period, the objects include porcelain,jade, wood and ivory carvings, furniture and clothing.
（28）陶冶之珍综述
Though Suzhouisn’t the birthplace of porcelain, the flourishing of social and economicconditions and accumulation of wealth in the Ming and Qing Dynasties led to astrong demand for collection. This gallery displays some very sophisticatedporcelain in this period.
(29) 甜白扁腹绶带葫芦瓶 White gourd-shaped flatvase with ribbon-like handles
This is a vase createdduring Emperor Yongle Period, around 600 years ago. Theshape of this vase is quite similar to a metal container in theArabian Regions. It looks soft and sweet with the gourd-shapedmouth, and ribbon-like handles on the shoulder. That’s why it is named“Tianbai Ci” in Chinese, meaning “sweet and clear”.It is recorded that this class of porcelain was Emperor Yongle’sfavorite. He loved the style so much that he turned down the utensil madein jade offered as tribute by his counterpart from the WesternRegions.
(30)青花海水白龙盘 Blueand white Porcelain plate with wave and dragon design
This is a blue and white porcelain plate with a dragondesign.
Chineseblue and white porcelain is also called “under glazed color porcelain”. Whenthe mold was dried, the potter wouldthen apply the refined cobalt-blue pigment mixed with water using a brush.Next, he would coat it with a clear glaze and again fire it at hightemperature. Thistype of porcelain wasso popular that it became a dominant style in the past 6 centuries.
A white dragon was painted in the middle of the platewhile two little dragons on the exterior.
Dragons are legendary creatures. They are considered as animals from heaven. Anydecoration with dragons was for imperial use only. This plate was a typicalceladon fired in the kiln run by the government.
(31)居仁堂粉彩梅鹊碗
Porcelain Plate (Bowl) withMagpie and Plum Blossom Design
This set of"famille rose" dish is designed with slightly arched and flaredmouth, folding belly, and a ring foot. The body is glazed in snow-flake white.The design is fine and vivid. This set was made in 1916.
Ju Ren Tang wasonce the residence of Yuan Shikai, a warlord in early Republic of China. Thisset was donated by Yuan Jingzhen, the 13th daughter of Yuan Shikai.
(32)洒蓝反口石榴尊 The snowflake blue glazed ‘Zun’
Zun is a type of wine vessel usedin ancient days. Now, let’s look at this pomegranate-shaped object. It iscalled snowflake blue glazed ware. This type of glaze first appeared in MingDynasty, and the firing process of “spraying blue glaze” was furtherenhanced. First, the white glaze wasused to apply over the Zun. Next, the craftsman blew the blue glaze through astraw to the surface. Now, the mixed blue and white spots look just like thesnowflakes falling from the sky all over the dark blue ground.
Pomegranate is a fruit which haslots of seeds. In China, this fruit has an auspicious implication as “havingprosperity and many descendants”. On thebottom, there is a stamp of Emperor Yongzheng, which means this piece was madein Qing Dynasty.
（33）攻玉巧计综述
Suzhou was thepremier jade production center in the Ming and Qing Dynasty, it was oftenconsidered as the city which had the best carvings available anywhere in China.In this gallery, we’ll enjoy some exquisite workmanship from Suzhou’s jadecarvers.
(34)白玉人物船Nephrite Boat with Figurine Design
The typeof boat was quite popular inthe areas of Southern Yangtze River.This extraordinary artworkwas created on asingle piece ofnephrite, i.e. the round, milky, whitejade with yellow streaks. Pleasetake a closer Look at the cabin, whichis in bamboo design. Don’tmiss the figurinessittingon the boat. Thispiece of nephrite work vividly displays a fisherman’s life back then. Mostexperts agree that this piece of worktruly represents a very high level of jade carvingat the time.
(35)碧玉双耳环八棱番莲大洗
Jasper Octagonal Double-Handle Washerwith Indian Lotus Design.
Thispiece is an imitation of theHindustan jadework. Hindustan was a country located intoday’s North-Pakistan and East-Afghanistanand was famous for its jade production.At the reign of Emperor Qianlong, the country was doing trading with China inXinjiang. Hindustan jade wasone of Emperor Qianlong’s favorites. He wrote many poems to praise this type ofjade, and more than 50 of the poems were engraved on the Hindustan Jade. Healso ordered his workshop to make more imitations, which were called “xifanzuo”（Indian’s work）. The Hindustan Jade later became a new memberamongall ancient Chinese jade. The typical HindustanJade is thin and light. The texture feels like glass, quite translucent.
This octagonal washer wascarved on a piece of high-quality jasper inspinach green. Its inner wall is smooth and outer wall embellished with Indianlotus design. The exquisitepolishing skill madethe washer very translucent.
(36)(子冈款)白玉人物牌
Nephrite Pendant with FigurineDesign (Inscribed with “Zi Gang”)
This is aNephrite Pendant with figurine design(Inscribed with “Zi Gang”). In Ming Dynasty, both Beijing and Suzhou werethe cities possessing the best technique in jade carving. LuZigang was from Suzhou,an expertin selecting and carving jade. He preferred Hetian jade and most of his workswere adornments and containers. What’s more, he merged the technique ofperspective and the art of calligraphy and painting into his jade carving,which greatly enhancedthe charm of the pieces he created.
Notonly this pendant is in excellent quality,but Lu’s masterwork also made it highly glittering and translucent. The back ofthe piecehas the inscription of"Zi Gang”.
(37)田黄老人Tianhuang old Man
Here is a figurine of an old mancarved on a whole piece of Tian Huang stone.
Tian Huang is akind of precious stone that is mined in Shou-shanof Fujian Province. It is also called Shoushan Stone.
This artwork is yellow in color andsemi-translucent. The old man has a broad forehead, and a pair of big ear. Apiece of ruby is inlaid on his belly. Youcan tell by the way he sits that he is totally relaxed and content with a bigsmile and a lingzhi fungus in his right hand.
(38)雕镂神工综述
Now, let’s have a look at thehandicrafts carved on varies materials. There are a varietyof carvings: bamboo, wood, ivory, bone, metal and stone, even as smallas fruit shells or seeds.
In the past six centuries, thesehandicrafts played a fair part in people’s life. (Thosepeople lead andelicacy life at that time.) In Ming and Qing dynasties,Suzhou attracted many craftsmen with top skills because of its prosperity builtfrom trading, and rich culture inherited from their ancestors. Consequently,those skillful craftsmen created a lot of art pieces.Literati also played an important role in designing and refining theart crafts.
The gallerydisplays various handicrafts with the material such as bamboo, wood, ivory,horn and even fruit shells. These materials use in the decorative arts gainedprominence during the Ming and Qing Dynasty. The best artisans wereconcentrated in the Jiangnan area where there was easy access to an abundanceof local material. Suzhou with the strong commercial and economical base gaverise to a rich and highly developed cultural and crafts center.
(39)留青竹刻山水人物搁臂
Bamboo Arm-rest with a Landscape Carvedby Zhang Xihuang
Let’s take alook at this piece of bamboo with landscape carved on itssurface. It is a popular as well as a practical tool for theliterati. Can you guess what it is for?
It should have something to do withthe people’s printing practice in the ancient days.Different from nowadays, people back then did their printingsfrom right to left, up to down vertically. Their loosegarments and large, long sleeves made it rather difficult. Besides,the Chinese ink would not dry instantly. Therefore, the black ink wouldinevitably stain the long sleeves. This bamboo tool was made to solve sucha problem. You see, bamboo’s natural curve makes it possible to coverthe calligraphy without blurring the character. What’smore, people could comfortably rest their arm on it when they arewriting with brush. So this bamboo tool is called BambooArm-Rest.
In addition toits practical use, we must not overlook its aesthetic value. Thiscarving style was created by Zhang Xihuang, an expert in bamboocarving. He first cut out the useless part on the surface, while saving thenatural green. Since it is hard to preserve the green, you can see thatthe landscape carved has turned yellow over all those years. The inevitableaging process due to Mother Nature also gives it a touch of grace and a senseof history.
40)漆雕台屏Carved lacquer screen
Lacquercarvingis a special kind of technique to engrave design ona piece of flat lacquer.It started in Tang Dynasty,and the best work was found in the city of Jiaxing, in YuanDynasty. Nowadays, many of the work come from Beijing, Yangzhou,Tianshui, and Huizhou. Bright red is the most favorite color for thecarved lacquer, also known as “Ti Hong’. The craftsmen use wood ashes or metal as the base, and applylayers of paint for at least 90 times to as many as a couple ofhundreds. Once the lacquer is half dried, the worker would startdesigning and engraving.
Thisscreen was made to tell a legend of eight deities from Taoism. They arechatting, laughing and playing the flute in a very relaxing spirit. Inaddition, there are grapesand lotus flowers, all implying the joy and abundance.
（41）文房雅事综述
Brush,ink, paper and inkslab, which have often been known in Chinese expressions asthe “four treasures of the scholar’s study”. Actually, besides the “fourtreasures”, there are other accessories for the study, such as brush-holders,brush-pots, scroll weights, water droppers, seals and table screens. In this gallery,we could enjoy some elegant and exquisite Suzhou scholars’ tools..
(42) 十八学士礼墨 Ink stick with Eighteen Scholars
Thebrushes, paper, ink stick, and ink slab, are the traditional tools for thescholars for hundreds of years. They have always been referred as “Four Treasures in the study”.
In fact,ink stick hasbeen used for thousands of years in China. The making of ink stickreached all time high in the Ming Dynasty. Both EmperorsKangxi and Qianlong were serious calligraphers, whoprompted the production evenmore exclusive during their reigns.Ink stick collection became a fashionable thing to do. Theworks by the outstanding ink stick makers were of great value.This set of ink sticks engraved with the names of the eighteen scholars,and the design of characters was meant to be a gift not for use. These eighteen scholars were the talentsassisting Emperor Li Shimin to administer the stateaffairs. This set of ink sticks is indeed a masterpiece collection.
(43) 顾二娘款筛形砚 Sieve-Shaped ink slab,inscribed with “Gu Erniang”
Inkslab isone of the “Four Treasures in the Study”. It has been used since earlyWestern Han Dynasty in China (????year). The ink slab is solid in texture, and can easily becared of, thus became a good choice for collectors.The materials which can be used to make ink slab include Duan Stone, Qin Stone, or even jade, iron,and porcelain.
This oneis a small ink slab, sieve-shaped, inscribed with “GuErniang” on the edge. Gu Erniang was born in Suzhou, a famous ladyink slab maker during the period of Kangxi’s Reign inQing Dynasty. She was known to always choose the finestmaterial. There were no more than 100 pieces of ink slabmade by her. Legend has it that she could tell if a piece of material wasgood enough for making the ink slab by simply kicking it with her tiptoe.
(44) 紫砂仿皮雕山水笔筒Purpleclay brush holder
What you see onthe table are typical stationeries frequently displayed and usedby the literati in their study, for the past 6 centuries. Thestationeries include but not limited to seal, seal box,and red ink paste for sealing, brush holder and brush washer. For now,I would like to tell you about this very specialbrush holder.
This brushholder was originated from Tang Dynasty, approximately inthe sixth and seventh century. Before it was invented, brusheswere hung on a rack, which was large in size and took too much space on thetable as well as easy to be tip over. So, when the brush holder came into being,it quickly replaced the rack hanger, and was delightedby many literati.
Whatmakes this one very special is thatit was made of Zisha, a type of ‘purple clay’. Brush holders are morecommonly made of bamboo、wood、porcelain、andeven jade. This brush holder was not carved but through the technique ofgradually lining up the design of landscape and figurines usingdifferent kinds of purple clay. After the molding, it would be oxidizedin a kiln. If you look carefully, you willfind trees, mountain, river, houses and people all vividly constructed byvarious shades of purple clay. It is undoubtedlya masterpiece created by YangJichu, an expert in makingpurple clay art crafts.
(45) 闲情偶寄 The intellects’ casualPleasure
During Ming andQing dynasties, many literati painstakingly pursued the unworldly realmas evidenced by the visit to their study. Now we come to thisgallery called "sketches of casual pleasure". Thisgallery presents a type of lifestyle favored by the intellectswith profound aesthetic perception. Those intellects were so-called hermits, longing for the life ofback to the nature.
（45）闲情偶寄（综述）
Inaddition to collecting and appreciating fine works of art, the literati wasintensely engaged in other leisurely activities. With the collectiblesdisplayed in this hall, these activities included burning incense, imbibingfine waters, teas and wines, maintaining pets like crickets, katydids and birdsand appreciating music. In the hands of the literati, the connoisseurship ofsuch pastimes was elevated to an art form.
(46)紫砂桂枝歇蝉笔架
This brush rest was made of purplesand in the shape of a cassia twig with a cicada sitting on it, a popular desk utensil for all theliterati. It came into being as long as the brushes wereinvented. Among all the jade collections from Han dynasty, brushrest was one of them. The quality of the craftsmanship and exquisite work werehighly in demand.
Ifyou look closer, you will see the blooming flower, little buds and leaves onthe osmanthus twig as well as the brokenbranches, knots and holes on the leaves. The cicada seemsto be just taking a break from his flying. In the very old days, "winningthe imperial exams" was nicknamed "zhegui".Therefore, the design of this brush rest has an auspicious implication,"the top winner of the exams, promising official positions for thedescendants, abundant honor and wealth".
"Chen Mingyuan ", a seal with three characters is carved on the bottom ofthe osmanthus twig. Chen was born in Yixing, Jiangsu Province in the late MingDynasty. He was a well known artist, using purple sand clay to create art workduring the reigns of Kangxi and Yongzheng in the17th century. The pottery teapots he made were extraordinarily popularamong the literati and eminent ministers.
(47)各式鼻烟壶Thestory of the snuff bottles
Snuffis a kind of tobacco products for sniffing. In the early 17thcentury, it started being popular in Europe, later it came toChina. It first became prevalent among the royal families.At the beginning, there were no special containers, untilit was stored in the modified small traditional medicine bottles. Duringthe Emperor Kangxi period, the manufacturing department started toproduce various kinds of snuff bottles. They were made in allsorts of different materials, using color glaze, lacquerware, porcelain, gold, rhinoceros horn, jade, and bottle gourd. They arecreated in superb workmanship, with exquisite designs andcolorful decorations. Above all, the extraordinary miniature paintings insidethe bottle using the very fine brushes became very popular. Snuffbottles are small in size, easy to be held by hand, thus have become afavorite for the collectors. Their artistic values are takenseriously. This line displays a number of snuff bottles allwith painting inside. And, this line shows snuff bottles madein all different materials.
(48)紫檀镶金丝鸟笼The gold-trim birdcage
Made of red sandalwood with excellent qualityand elegance.
The entire work is connected by mortiseand tenon joints. Apart from theexquisite facade, fittings are perfect and ingenious. The dragonshaped hook was made of top-rated refined copper. Thereare three movable axles between the body of the hook, central knot andpedestal, so that the shook can revolve flexibly. The extraordinarycraftsmanship can also be evidenced by the cagedoor and other ornaments; inlayed with fine gold strings,which further reflect the exquisite design of the birdcage.
（49）宋画斋综述
It’s a specialexhibit in Suzhou museum, named “Song Pavilion”. It is a duplication of ascholar’s studio from Song Dynasty, using traditional architectural techniquesand artistic designs to show off the Chinese ancient architectural charm. Thecourtyard is decorated with sand, rockeries, bamboos, which embody the tone andmood of the traditional Chinese culture, simplicity and elegance.
(50) 真珠舍利宝幢 Pearl Pillar of theBuddhist Shrine
This PearlPillar of the Buddhist Shrine was created in NorthernSong Dynasty, nearly a thousand years ago. This shrine ismade in several materials, such aspearl, gold, silver, wood, and other types of gems, etc.
It was discoveredon the third floor of Ruiguan Pagoda, safely stored in a two-layer wood casemade of Nanmu wood, in 1978. It mainly consists of threesections; the Sumeru, a house, and the canopy top.
The Sumeru hasthree layers. The base isa platform in octagonal shape, signifying the Buddhist’s eight heavens.There are eight silver dancing lions, and 16standing figurines representing the donors on the lower bottom.
The topportion of the base is also a platform, all painted with gold. The eightcolumns are decorated with flowers and crystal balls. In the middle, itwas designed to look like “mountain” and “sea”. Above the “sea”, there are eight auspiciousclouds, and on the top, standing four warriorswith weapons in hand, as wells as four ladies. A dragon withnine-head wraps around the pole, which stands firm in the stormywaves. The dragon was said to be the Dragon King and he is in command ofthe flood and drought.
In addition, there are 8 legendary deitiesof Buddhist on the top, carved in sandalwood. Theirjob was to defend the Shrine, surrounded by 8 pillars.The handwriting on the front means, “Great wisdom may reach the shore ofhappiness”. A bottle containing the relic of the monks was storedinside.
The Buddhist Canopy sitting above is decorated withjewelries. On the very top of the Buddhist Canopy, a largesize of crystal is placed, symbolizing the brightness ofBuddhism.
In this art work, we see all kinds of thetraditional craft making techniques, including carving, goldpainting, weaving, and jewelry inlay, etc. It is so extremely rare,thus classified as one of the National Treasures.
结束语：Endling
Itis the end of main exhibition area, through the central park, you’ll get theeast of the museum. A sub-exhibition area is located, the contemporary artexhibits. And you could find the wisteria court and the coffee/tea house at theend of the corridor. If you prefer antiquities, maybe you’d like the paintingsand calligraphy from the distinguished Wu School, it’s on the second floor.That is all of my presentation, thank you.
( by Allie, Amy, Cherry,Cindy, Connie, Frank, Jenny, Kitty, Lemon, Rachel, Serena, Shirley, Sophia, YanTian, Yoyo, Wendy, Mei )
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