Guided Viewing of Two Exhibitions - History of Gold: Masterpieces from Shaanxi Golden Techniques: Art of the Chinese Goldsmiths With Dr. Xu Xiaodong

Date :
Wednesday, 6 September 2017
Time :
10:00 Meet at General Post Office for carpool | 10:45 -12:30 Guided Tour
Venue :
The Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin
Cost :
$250 Member; $300 Non-member; $50 for student with valid ID
Enquiries :
Audy Mak at 9469-0797 or Chelsea Choi at [email protected]

The two exhibitions “History of Gold: Masterpieces from Shaanxi and Golden Techniques: Art of the Chinese Goldsmiths” are presentations of the periodical achievements of the research project “Ancient Chinese Gold Techniques” co-presented by Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics Protection, and Masters’ Workshop of Chow Tai Fook.

“History of Gold” features 60 pieces (sets) of carefully-selected ancient Chinese gold and silver works from 22 institutions of Shaanxi province, dating from 1000BC to 19th century. This exhibition endeavours to illustrate the development of gold-working techniques in ancient China, demonstrating, in the historical contexts, how gold-working techniques came to China from the West, integrated with Chinese techniques, and evolved into unique ways of working. In addition to examining the origin and development of ancient techniques, this exhibition will also try to reveal their historical and cultural significances.

“Golden Techniques” features over 40 pieces (sets) of ancient Chinese gold and silver wares from the collection of the Art Museum as well as private collections, and samples from reconstruction experiments as well as traditional goldsmith’s tools, both from the Masters’ Workshop of Chow Tai Fook, bringing the cutting-edge findings of ancient Chinese techniques used to make gold and silver objects, emphasizing on granulation (making gold granules and welding them onto the object) and gold wire techniques, as well as techniques used to make gold inlays.

Resource Person
Dr. Xu Xiaodong worked as keeper and researcher at the Palace Museum, Beijing from 2007-2013. Her research interests include history of Chinese jade, gold and silver, amber, imperial arts of the Ming and Qing dynasties and artistic interactions between ancient China and the West. She is currently Associate Director of the Art Museum, Associate Professor (by courtesy) of the Fine Arts Department, the Chinese University of Hong Kong