HKU Bulletin November 2006 (Vol. 8 No. 1)

14 15 ARTS Artistic Reverence Explored A new exhibition explores the cultural roots of China’s art. I n the Western world the concept of imitation tends to be a negative one, ranging in meaning from a sincere form of flattery to outright plagiarism. But in China the history of artistic expression is peppered with examples of artistic reverence that could well be considered acts of imitation. China's long and unbroken cultural tradition has encouraged artists, calligraphers and craftsmen to draw on the great works of the past as inspiration for new works of art. So much so that the practice of emulating the great masters has, in itself, become a traditional practice, making the broad concept of ‘imitation’ one of the most fascinating areas of study in Chinese art. An exhibition, presented by the Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and our University Museum and Art Gallery explores this tradition. Featuring over 200 pieces from the private collections of members of the Society and institutional contributors, many of the objects are on view to the public for the first time. It was during the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127) that the artistic traditions central to China’s culture were established. The Huizong emperor – a great collector of art – laid the foundations of imperial attitudes to art that were to take hold in the coming centuries. His love of the art of the past was translated into objects of the day with ancient bronzes and jades being imitated to bolster the emperor’s links with the legitimacy of the past. While this archaism may represent a conscious development in Chinese cultural traditions, the exhibition also reveals how non-Chinese motifs, forms and ideas, like Indian Buddhism were assimilated into the country’s art. The exhibition includes ritual bronzes from the Shang period ( c .1600 – c .1050 BCE), and later archaic examples, ceramic vessels and sculpture, works of art in jade, cloisonne, glass, wood and bamboo, as well as ink and oil paintings. Contemporary art is also included to show the influence of twentieth century art on post-1989 artists. Art & Imitation in China runs at the University Museum and Art Gallery until December 17, 2006. Rare Books on Display The University Libraries displays its unique collection. B ooks that offer a rare glimpse into a long-lost world formed part of a fascinating exhibition held at the University over the summer. The valuable tomes, some once owned by literary and historical figures, such as Lu Muzhen, Sun Yat-sen’s first wife, Robert Morrison, the first Protestant missionary to China and essayist and novelist, Hsu Ti-shan, revealed the wealth of material held at the University. As the oldest and largest academic library in Hong Kong – dating back to 1912 – it has placed special emphasis on its collection development over the last few years. And its printed collection has grown to over 2.4 million volumes, some of which are extremely rare and quite unique. Equally remarkable is the growth of the Libraries’ e-book collection. In 2000 it became the first library in the world to start acquiring web-based books, and in just seven years it has accumulated one million e-volumes. The exhibition, entitled Books and Their Stories , jointly presented by the University Libraries and the University Museum and Art Gallery, celebrated the launch of the Libraries’ one millionth e-book, and recounted how it built up its collection. Among the highlights were a beautifully produced 1798 edition of George Staunton’s An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain of China . This is a genuine and copious account of Lord George McCartney’s mission to the court of the Qing Emperor Qianlong between 1792 and 1794 and is the only copy that exists in the world. It is this volume that the libraries has chosen to digitize for its one millionth e-book. Also on display was a rare copy of the Si ku quan shu , a collection of reference works up to the 18th century, which is believed to have originated in the collection of the Wenyuange at the Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace.