Category Archives: News

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Clock This

CBPS Member Looi L says the exhibition of Clockwork Treasures at the Science Museum is definitely well worth visiting; with prior booking though.  On till 2 June.
Review.
Podcast interview with the curators, and a general history of timekeeping in China.
Han dynasty clepsydra.
A Chinese poem featuring a water clock.
Song dynasty water clock.
Elaborate water clock in Forbidden City, probably Qing dynasty.

Talking of the Qing, thanks to members Zara & Looi for sharing these Qianlong cups.  We love the idea of a Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Art under Emperor Kangxi.
Ornate objects auctioned last year.

Thanks to Zara for pointing us to recorded talks about Forbidden City Architecture (3 parts).

In case you were wondering, all China’s dynasties explained in 7 minutes!

Poetic Life

Portrait of a gentleman gathering chrysanthemums, Hua Guan (Chinese, ca. 1740–ca. 1822), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, China
Portrait of a gentleman gathering chrysanthemums by Hu Guan, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Michael Wood has a new book out, about famous Tang Poet Du Fu,
Watch  the launch video and British Council video.
He is also speaking at the Oxford Literary Festival.
Review of the book.
Talking of poetry, those familiar with Peek Inside the Farm might like to listen to this podcast about the Chinese translation.
Vision and Verse: The Poetry of Chinese Painting is a new exhibition the  Metropolitan Museum.  Even if you can’t get to New York, you can enjoy the objects.  This painting refers to ancient poet Tao Yuanming.
More on Chinese poetry.
CBPS Members’ poetry.

Interesting essay on the poetic in contemporary painting.  Itincludes paintings by Fang Shaolin, who featured in our October 2022 Newsletter.

On Display

Thanks to member Tony H for a useful tip.  If you can’t get your painting mounted as a hanging scroll, then try poster hangers.  These top & bottom fixings come in a range of sizes and finishes, and often have convenient magnetic strips to hold the picture.  The painting would need to be backed to make it strong enough to support the lower rail.  There are many suppliers on the internet eg.  Or you could make your own.

British Museum blog and videos about scroll mounting, including our Honorary President Qu Leilei’s painting.

       

Dragon Year

Beijing Airport
2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon.  How to give a New Year greeting in Mandarin, or Cantonese.
There will be dragons in Bath all this year – very appropriate as they are water creatures!    Free online talk on dragon symbolism, 21 February, by Patricia Bjaaland Welch, author of a useful book on Chinese symbolism.

The number nine is associate with dragons and there are many nine-dragon walls in China., eg in Beihai Park, Beijing and this Ming one in Datong.  Urban dragons – How Cities Across China Are Welcoming the Dragon.  Meet the Dragon King.

Door Gods are an important feature of Lunar New Year.

We mentioned Hokusai’s drawings before.  Here is a project to make new woodblock prints from his drawings, including a splendid dragon – it would be wonderful to have one!

Warning – this “dragon chicken” looks grotesque, but is apparently edible.

Door God in Yunnan, 2016

Old and New

Dragon by CBPS Member Lucy W
Nine Dragons by CBPS Member Chris G

For those of you learning Chinese, here is some contemporary internet slang.
Photos of developing Shanghai
There are many histories of Chinese art on the internet eg:

Modern and contemporary Chinese paintings, sometimes referring back to ancient models.
Interesting event at Compton Verney in March 2024:  modern reflections on the Taotie.
Taotie face on ancient bronze vessel at Compton Verney

China Institute free online introduction to Chinese calligraphy.