HKU Bulletin November 2009 (Vol. 11 No .1)

28 The University of Hong Kong Bulletin 29 November 2009 Arts and Culture The Centennial Campus itself will have substantial greenery running through it. There also will be a central lawn of about 1,900 square metres and a rooftop garden of 4,000 square metres on top of new service reservoirs being built within the campus. A footpath will lead to the Lung Fu Shan Country Park. The new plantings will more than compensate for the need to fell 168 trees for the Centennial Campus construction, none of which are of high ecological value or suitable for transplant. The Central and Western District Council approved their removal in March this year. In addition to greening the campus, the University is reviewing amenities on campus. Staff and students were surveyed in late 2008/early 2009 and gave highest priority to a food court, canteen and supermarket. Architects Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd proposed in September that the new campus include five food and beverage outlets, a convenience store, bank, fitness centre, book store and special purpose rooms. The Centennial Campus development will provide a new, modern learning environment, but it is not the only physical transformation underway at the University. Nearly 500 trees are being planted to enhance HKU’s function as an urban oasis in the neighbourhood. The trees will be planted in both the Main Campus, such as along the Sun Yat-sen steps and the courtyard between the Run Run Shaw and James Hsiong Lee Science buildings, and in the Centennial Campus. Trees will also line the two-level University Street that will connect the two campuses. GREENING the campus Campus Development For many, the Ming Dynasty is synonymous with exquisite porcelain. For centuries the distinctive blue and white ceramics have been prized and endlessly copied. In the 16th century, Portuguese kings were so enamoured of the finely executed treasures that they lined a ceiling in Lisbon’s Santos Palace with the distinctive plates and bowls. Quality control in the production of Ming imperial porcelain was so rigorous that these blue and whites are considered indisputably superior to those of any other period. Indeed, the trade in blue and white porcelain helped turn China into an economic powerhouse. It has been estimated that half the silver produced in the Americas during the Ming Dynasty found its way to China to pay for porcelain, silk and tea. However, until recently, the material ware of the late Ming period has been largely overlooked in the belief that, due to an ailing economy, its quality does not meet the peerless standards set in earlier periods. The University’s Museum and Art Gallery is hoping to turn that belief on its head with the world’s first exhibition devoted exclusively to the imperial ware of the late Ming Dynasty. This collection of 120 stunning pieces created for two separate imperial households – during the reign of Jiajing (1522-1566) and Wanli (1573-1620) – has been a year in the preparation. The exhibits, mostly produced in the Jingdezhen Kiln, Jiangxi province between 1520 and 1620, come from the Museum’s own small collection, plus over 100 pieces loaned from nine private collectors in Hong Kong. Museum Director, Mr Yeung Chun-tong says, “Some collectors may think the quality is not as good as those in the early Qing and early Ming Dynasties, but they were made for the Emperor so the quality at that time should have been the best. We have launched this exhibition to try and study their styles and increase their status.” The largest group on display is the famous blue and white porcelain, but a smaller group of stunning wucai (five colours) ware can also be seen. The decorative style is particularly distinctive. “All imperial ware contains dragon and phoenix motifs,” explains Mr Yeung. “But even judging from this you can still see differences. The dragons during this period have very big, bulging eyes, it’s a very special feature of the late Ming, and the dragon’s head may be over-exaggerated. They liked to paint the dragon in this unrealistic way, because during that period the painter was trying to stress the power of the dragon head. “Before Ming – during the Yuan Dynasty – the dragons in ceramics had smaller heads and stronger bodies, completely different proportions that signified the power of the Mongols who had expanded their power into Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Here the power is in the body not in the head. By the late Ming all the power is in the head.” Because of Jiajing’s fascination with religious Daoism as a means to longevity many of the pieces are decorated with symbolic Daoist motifs, such as the auspicious shou character, cranes and the eight immortals. ‘The Fame of Flame: Imperial Wares of the Jiajing and Wanli Period’ exhibition runs at the University Museum and Art Gallery until February 28, 2010 . TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT ancient treasures A new exhibition hopes to revive interest in a neglected era of Ming porcelain production. Underglaze blue covered jar with floral design. Wanli Period. Width 13 cm, Height 14 cm Yellow-glazed bowl with green dragon and phoenix design. Jiajing Period. Diameter 14 cm, Height 7 cm Underglaze blue dish with dragon design. Wanli Period. Width 20 cm, Height 4 cm