chinese art: August 2008 Archives

The Palace Museum in Beijing currently has an exhibition running entitled "The Splendors of Imperial Costume". The title is a fair description of a show which is unique as far as I know.

Imperial costumes display some of the finest of Chinese decorative designs and workmanship, yet costume has received relatively little attention in China until the last decade. This exhibition is playing its part in the elevation of costume to the same level as other Imperial arts.

The exhibition focusses on the Qing dynasty (roughly, the mid 17th century onwards), the period in which the Chinese court was dominated by a dynasty of Manchurian origin. Traditional Manchurian costume, adapted to horseriding and archery, was quite different to the Han Chinese styles previously in use at the court. Yet the Manchurians quickly adapted their native styles (such as the horseshoe shaped cuff in the robe in the picture, which belonged to the Shunzhi Emperor) and made use of traditional Chinese skills in embroidery, silk tapestry and brocade weaving to produce spectacular versions of their traditional dress.

Despite its large holdings of treasures, the Palace Museum at the Forbidden City does not maintain large permanent exhibitions of its treasures, and this is the first major showing of costume. Around a hundred robes of superlative quality are on display and this show is therefore a must-see for those interested in costume and Chinese decorative art.

The show is being held in the first gateway at the south entrance of the Forbidden City (turn left and left again just after the ticket gate). Until November 8th, 2008.

Amidst all the hoo-ha about Chinese contemporary art in Beijing at the moment (with several major exhibitions timed to co-incide with the Olympics), a rare chance to see some of China's oldest surviving paintings.

The Forbidden City is displaying some of its holdings of paintings, including two very early works: a painting of a Tang emperor receiving a Tibetan envoy, and a stunning and panoramic work called the "Night Revels of Han Xi Zai". The story behind this painting (probably apocryphal) is that the painter Gu Hong Zhong was commissioned by the emperor to spy on the official Han Xi Zai, who was reputed to be leading a debauched lifestyle in the provinces, away from the watchful eye of the court. The painting is supposed to be the result of the commission.

There is some debate about the exact age of this painting, but it was certainly in the collection of the Song emperor Huizhong (r. 1101-26). It is a superb diorama of the costumes, furniture, porcelain and entertainments of the early Song period.

This painting is on display in an exhibition with other works until the end of August in the Forbidden City: turn left in the main courtyard inside the main (southern) ticket gate to get to the Wu Ying Dian (Hall of Martial Valor). There are plans for a repeat showing in September.

For those that can't get to the Forbidden City, there is a good image of the whole painting at this link.