The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) will present a major international loan exhibition on China's Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) starting September 28.
Over 200 works of art will be displayed in the exhibition, themed "The World of Khubilai Khan: Chinese Art in the Yuan Dynasty." The goal is to explore the art and material culture that flourished during the period in Chinese history.
The exhibits include paintings, sculptures, decorative arts in gold and silver, textiles, ceramics, and lacquer. The exhibition also highlights new art forms and styles that were generated in China as a result of the unification of the country under the Yuan Dynasty, founded by Khubilai in 1271.
Most of the exhibits, including key pieces from recent archaeological finds, came from China. Additional loans are from Japan, Russia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.
Thomas Campbell, Director of the MET, said during the press preview event on September 20 that the exhibition brings together the extraordinary art of a "pivotal and vibrant period of cultural awakening." It is the combination of many years of work and definitely among the most complex exhibitions ever presented by the museum, he said.
Author: Chen Wen | Source: Beijing Review [September 21, 2010]