APRIL EDITS AND TRANSLATION.
中国元代画家谢楚芳的《乾坤生意图》在流失海外多年后终于有机会探望“娘家”，陪伴这件珍宝“海归”的还有包括皂石关帝雕像、《牡丹蝴蝶写生图》以及多件景德镇出产的精美瓷器。上述共15件“华裔”血统精品正连同大英博物馆其他102件馆藏，于中国故宫博物院午门举办的大型综合性展览《英国与世界——1714～1830》中展出，直至今年6月。
故宫博物馆展览部副主任马继革表示，这是故宫博物馆与大英博物馆这两个世界著名的博物馆的首次合作，当中的《乾坤生意图》更是大英博物馆于1998年花巨资从英国私人收藏家手中购得的。马继革说：“大英博物馆相信该画卷是迄今为止，英国人最早收藏的中国绘画作品。我们这次的合作，就是想让中国人也能看到我们国家的艺术精粹。”
这个展览的主题是讲述英国在汉诺威王朝，于乔治一世至乔治四世（1714-1830）期间，如何从一个偏远岛国步步崛起，进而一度成为世界近代历史的焦点。展品中除了回来省亲的中国文物，还有一件在该段时期英国贵族从景德镇定制的“墨彩镀金盘”，上面描绘的都是希腊神话故事。以及一件上面印有中国清朝官员人物图案，但却产自18世纪英国本土的咖啡壶。来自天津的游客田丽说：“我从没有想过英国欧洲宫廷和上流社会这么喜欢中国的东西。”撇开历史，艺术创造和艺术分享无国界这事一点不假。
－周敏
Chinese-blooded Artifacts Visit Homeland
After being lost overseas for many years, Yuan Dynasty painter Xie Chufang’s “The Universe Gives Birth to Intent” finally has a chance to return home for a visit. Accompanying the treasure are 14 other high-quality Chinese artifacts, including a saponite Guandi statue, a peony butterfly sketch painting, as well as some precious chinaware from Jing De Zhen, Jiangxi province. These works are part of the 117-piece exhibit “England and the World 1714-1830” on display at the Imperial Palace Museum’s front gates until June.
This is the first time these two world-famous museums have cooperated, says Ma Jige, the Imperial Palace Museum display department assistant director. Among the pieces is Xie’s, which the British Museum paid a fortune to buy from a private collector in England. “The British Museum believes this scroll painting is, to date, the oldest Chinese artistic work in the country’s possession,” Ma says. “This time our cooperation aims to allow Chinese people to see our country’s exquisite works.”
The exhibition’s topic addresses how this tiny and remote island in western Europe, from the reign of George of Hannover through the reign of George the Fourth (1714-1830), slowly ascended to become the focal point of the world. In addition to those home-visit artifacts, there is a Jing De Zhen-crafted gold-plated piece depicting Greek myth stories custom-ordered by British aristocrats, as well as an 18th century homemade English coffee pot, on which Qing Dynasty officials are pictured. Tian Li, a visitor from Tianjin, says, “I never knew that the British royal court and upper class loved Chinese art this much.” Put aside history, and the creation and sharing of art are without boundaries.
–Zhou Min
Aren’t quite a few of those antiques in British Museum stolen from China during the period from 1840 to 1949? Aren’t they feel shameful? I do not know they even have the guts to bring the stolen goods back to their homeland.
Yifeng
April 29th, 2007