MONGOLS CHINA AND THE SILK ROAD : Tang Dynasty murals on display in Xi'an

Friday 24 June 2011

Tang Dynasty murals on display in Xi'an

What does China's Tang Dynasty look like through the brushes of ancient Chinese painters? You may find the answer at the on-going mural exhibition at the Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum.
The show features nearly one hundred mural paintings created around a thousand years ago during the Tang Dynasty, which is regarded as the golden age in China's history.
The 97 mural paintings on display are elaborately chosen from the museum's collection of some six hundred mural paintings unearthed in 14 Tang Dynasty tomb complexes centuries ago.
Historical figures in the exhibits were portrayed with sheer clean-cut lines, complemented by bright colors to give a vivid presentation of the royal lives of the Tang imperial families.
A visitor said, "This is the first time I've ever enjoyed Tang Dynasty murals at such a close range. It's awesome!"
A visitor said, "The silhouettes are portrayed with flowing lines, and the bright colors have survived some one thousand years. It's unbelievable!"

The majority of the exhibits were exposed to the environment in the 1950's and '60s China. But for a long period of time the valuable cultural relics were kept in the storehouse of the museum due to limited protective measures. It took another ten years for the time to become right and all conditions growing mature for the exhibition.
Zhou Boling, researcher of Shaanxi Provincial Historical Museum, said, "The exhibition halls are kept at constant humidity and temperature. We've tried our best to reproduce the underground environment for the mural paintings."
This batch of priceless exhibits is highlighted by a piece portraying nine royal palace maids with various gestures and facial expressions. The one of a girl in a low-cut robe is hailed as "Venus from the Orient" by western researchers for her subtle smile and delicate make-up.