Enter the dragon

Clare Wilson, of the Otago Museum, takes a closer look at a drum-shaped Chinese ceramic stool,...
Clare Wilson, of the Otago Museum, takes a closer look at a drum-shaped Chinese ceramic stool, from the late 16th or early 17th century, decorated with a dragon motif, amid preparations to stage "The Emperor's Dragons" exhibition.
The dragon is centre stage in an exhibition opening at Otago Museum. John Gibb reports.

Years of patient relationship-building will pay off when the "Emperor's Dragons" arrive in force at Otago Museum next week.

The show, subtitled "Precious Collections from the Shanghai Museum", features 103 Chinese heritage treasures, some of which are up to 6000 years old, including a jade dragon from the Stone Age.

The major exhibition, from Dunedin's Chinese sister-city Shanghai, spans 60 centuries of Chinese history, including heritage treasures from the 20th century.

The show opens to the public about 3.30pm on Tuesday.

The exhibition's timing coincides with the official opening of the Dunedin Chinese Garden, a project in which the Shanghai Museum also played a crucial part.

"It is a special time of celebration for Dunedin, and a time to reflect on the importance and value of relationships with our sister cities," Otago Museum chief executive Shimrath Paul says.

The show's opening to the public comes shortly after an opening ceremony involving Prime Minister Helen Clark and Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin, as well as Hu Jianzhong, head of the Shanghai Museum administration committee, and Mr Paul.

The exhibition, regarded as one of the finest traditional Chinese museum displays staged in New Zealand, focuses on the evolving dragon motif in Chinese arts and crafts, including in many artefacts from the households of Chinese emperors.

"With the hard work and commitment of our esteemed colleagues at the Shanghai Museum we have been able to bring together a truly magnificent collection," Mr Paul says.

"Definitely not one to be missed."

"The Emperor's Dragons" offers the chance to get close to ancient cultural treasures, many of which were made specifically for the Chinese emperors and their court.

"It offers a window on the rituals and traditions of a rich and ancient culture," Mr Paul says.

Each item has been selected not only as a rare or exquisite treasure, but to showcase the importance of the symbol of the dragon through many dynasties and emperors.

"Without question, the Shanghai Museum is one of the most prestigious museums in the world, holding a magnificent collection of treasures."

Over the years "a very close and special relationship" has developed between the two museums, culminating in the dragons exhibition, he says.

"It is collection-rich and scholarship-rich, and offers a window on luxurious items from China's history.

"It holds true to the traditional values of museum exhibitions but presents the items and the information that is appealing and appropriate for contemporary audiences.

"It is an exhibition that should be seen by all in our community, because it helps us all to understand and to appreciate the long history and culture of China and our sister city of Shanghai," he said.

Clare Wilson, the museum director, exhibitions, planning and development, says this is the first of a planned series of exhibition exchanges between the two institutions.

Otago Museum plans to stage an exhibition of Maori treasures in Shanghai in 2011.

This would result in "an incredible profile for our region in one of the world's most prestigious museums, in one of the world's leading cities," she says.

"These exhibitions are possible because of relationships developed and nurtured over several years. Such things take time and energy, willingness and commitment by both sides," she says.

The dragons show was "several years, and many meetings and email discussions in the making," she said.

It was about seven years ago that Hu Jianzhong, head of the Shanghai Museum's administration committee, and Mr Paul shook hands and agreed the two museums would be firm friends and would work together on projects in the future.

"People will be in awe of the age and quality and history of this collection," Ms Wilson said.

"It's a unique and incredible opportunity and people shouldn't miss it," she said.

"We need to recognise that the Shanghai Museum, because of its strong commitment to the sister-city relationship, has gone the extra mile to do something incredibly special for the people of Otago."

The Shanghai Museum was one of the world's leading museums, and next year was providing an exhibition for the British Museum, in London.

Otago Museum felt honoured to be included in such company, she said.

"Being able to view objects through 60 centuries, all relating to the theme of the dragon is, when you really think about it, truly amazing.

"It is a very rich, very rewarding exhibition, not just for people with an existing interest in China but also for those with little or no knowledge to come to a welcoming, safe place to learn anew.

This is the biggest, most valuable and most complex that Otago Museum has undertaken, as we have worked directly with the Shanghai Museum to select and develop the exhibition, through design, text editing, catalogue preparation, and the sophisticated logistics of customs, indemnity and transport to get it to Dunedin in time for the official opening of the Chinese Garden," she said.

"Usually international exhibitions are arranged by another organisation and we are but one participant in a tour. Here we are the tour and the organising museum."

Lu Minghua, chief of the Shanghai Museum ceramics department, is one of several staff from the museum who have been at Otago Museum this week to help in setting up the exhibition.

Mr Lu said, through an interpreter, that this show, devoted to the dragon theme, was "totally different" from any other exhibition the museum had sent abroad, and the first the museum had developed on this theme.

The Shanghai Museum was "very proud" to be bringing some of its treasures to its New Zealand sister city.

Ms Wilson says that the lengthy discussions preceding it had resulted in the arrival of an exhibition that reflects Otago tastes and "the kind of things that Otago people like".

"This exhibition has a lot more written material in it than if it were in China."

Otago Museum had a "smart audience" which was always treated with respect.

The show enabled the Dunedin and Otago community to gain something from the increasingly close relationship, given that the trading and business links that were also developed between sister cities were not always directly apparent to the public.

"Exhibition exchanges in high-profile museums are a key way to share the outcomes of strong sister-city relationships with a wide range of members of the public," she says.

"In many ways they are some of the best outcomes for that relationship, because everyone has the chance to take part and enjoy them and in doing so we each get a better understanding of each other's cultures and values."

"This is the way that the general public gets to be part of that relationship."

 

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