The Maritime Silk Road, since its beginning, had always been an important passageway of exchanges between the East and the West, generating great impact on the course of world civilization. Thus, it holds profound connotation and far-reaching significance. On July 15, the special exhibition “East and West on The Maritime Silk Road” opened at Xi’an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts. Hosted by Xi’an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts and supported by Art Exhibitions China, the exhibition consisted of three parts——“Garden of Eden of the East” “Splendors Made in China” “East Meets West”. It features 163 pieces (sets) of precious artifacts, including Chinese export utensils, historical photos and prints among others.
Back in 17th Century, Chinese craftsmanship and aesthetic taste started to spread abroad, setting off “Sinomania” in the West. Since then, with the increasingly close economic and cultural exchanges between the East and the West, traditional oriental art absorbed new elements. This exhibition focuses on trade along the Maritime Silk Road in the 19th Century and changes and new styles in social life in the East and the West brought by it. By coalescing the grand historical narrative on specific physical exhibits and projecting it onto specific individual life scenes, the exhibition enables the audience to appreciate the value and impact of the Maritime Silk Road as well as the significance of exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations through exquisite cultural relics and restored scenes in an immersive experience.
The exhibition will last until October 10, 2022.
Sources: www.xiancn.com; Xi’an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts
Photo: Xi’an Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts