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The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong is honoured to present “Handmade and Handheld: Song to Qing Dynasty Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio”. The eighty-seven objects illustrate a remarkable cultural continuum that links ancient ritual traditions to a sophisticated literati aesthetic and intellectual life. These bronzes, having transcended their original ritual functions, became prized art objects, instruments of scholarly inquiry, and emblems of moral and political values. Their diverse forms—from ritual vessels to intimate incense burners and scholarly desk pieces—reflect the deep integration of bronze into the fabric of imperial and literati culture. In so doing, many of the plants and animals—mythical or real—carry important auspicious meanings that contribute to the learned culture from which they originate.
The opening of the exhibition was held at UMAG on October 23. Officiating guests included the collector and author Mr Paul Bromberg, and UMAG Director Dr Florian Knothe.
This stylistic diversity and the technical innovations evident across these dynasties testify to the enduring creativity of Chinese bronze craftsmanship. At the same time, the reverence for antiquity that shaped both the collecting and production of bronzes anchored Chinese cultural identity in its historical and philosophical foundations, making scholar bronzes a vital medium of continuity and transformation within Chinese civilisation. Yet only a few museum exhibitions, collection catalogues, and scholarly publications have addressed the historical, artistic, and ritual significance of later Chinese bronzes, highlighting their diverse forms and functions from the Song through the Qing dynasties. Given their rarity, we thank Mr Paul Bromberg for his generous loan, without which we would not have been able to study and share with the public these finely cast bronzes and the auspicious meanings they hold.
【Upcoming Exhibition🩶展覽預告】
The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong is delighted to present “Japanese Jewels: Imperial Silver Bonbonnières”, an exhibition of precious boxes that illustrate a well-documented tradition in Japan, which rose to prominence during the Meiji era and became formalised in imperial ceremonies. These containers, often made from pure silver and adorned with gold inlays and enamel, regularly display motifs that symbolise auspicious elements such as longevity, prosperity, and harmony. The story of Japanese imperial bonbonnières is a story of both creation and reception—of the master artisans who made them and the carefully selected recipients who received them. Makers like Kobayashi, Miyamoto, or Muramatsu upheld court traditions through exacting craftsmanship, while recipients, from nobles to foreign envoys, engaged in a socially meaningful system of imperial recognition.
Stylistically, Japanese silver bonbonnières exemplify artefacts shaped by encounters with European court practices, refined through technical and aesthetic adaptation, and ultimately transformed into powerful symbols of modern Japanese sovereignty. They demonstrate how a foreign object type, reinterpreted through national traditions of craftsmanship and ceremonial use, became an enduring component of Japan’s imperial identity. Their evolution from Meiji modernisation to Reiwa minimalism tells a larger story about the material culture of power, the visual language of the Japanese court, and the role of objects in mediating historical memory. Though modest in scale, the bonbonnière encapsulates the convergence of courtly patronage, artisanal expertise, symbolic visual culture, and ritual within modern Japanese history.
All silver boxes on display are part of the Nancy and Robin Markbreiter Collection. This exhibition has been made possible through their generous support and the patronage of the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong.
【Upcoming Exhibition✨展覽預告】
The University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong is honoured to present Handmade and “Handheld: Song to Qing Dynasty Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio”. The ninety objects illustrate a remarkable cultural continuum that links ancient ritual traditions to a sophisticated literati aesthetic and intellectual life. These bronzes, having transcended their original ritual functions, became prized art objects, instruments of scholarly inquiry, and emblems of moral and political values. Their diverse forms—from ritual vessels to intimate incense burners and scholarly desk pieces—reflect the deep integration of bronze into the fabric of imperial and literati culture.
The exhibition opening ceremony and book signing will be held on October 23, 2025. At the event, you may purchase the catalogue “Later Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio” and meet the author in person.
香港大學美術博物館欣然呈獻「掌中造物——宋至清代中國文房青銅器」展覽，精選九十件青銅器物，勾勒出由古代禮儀傳統至文人美學思想延展的文化脈絡。這些青銅器超越了原本的禮制功能，而是被視為藝術珍品、文人探究的對象，以及承載着道德與政治的理念。它們的形態多樣，從莊重的禮器到精緻的香爐與書齋文房，反映青銅工藝如何融入帝王與文人文化之中。
展覽開幕禮暨簽書會將於2025年10月23日舉行，屆時各位可於現場購買《Later Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar`s Studio》圖錄並與圖錄作者現場交流。
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Handmade and Handheld
Song to Qing Dynasty Chinese Bronzes for the Scholar’s Studio
《掌中造物——宋至清代中國文房青銅器》
📆 October 24, 2025 - February 8, 2026
🎟️ 免費入場 Free Admission
📍香港大學美術博物館 馮平山樓1樓
📍 1/F, Fung Ping Shan Building, University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong
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【Last chance! Witness the journey of bamboo craftsmanship🔥把握最後機會！見證竹藝的中日傳奇】
How does a single strand of bamboo transform into a masterpiece across generations?
The exhibition “Bamboo Baskets: Chinese Origins, Japanese Innovations” is in its final days! Featuring over 200 incredible baskets from China and Japan the show captures the evolution and legacy of bamboo art, from Ming-Qing dynasty to contemporary innovation. Each piece showcases the ingenuity of master artisans—turning humble bamboo into vibrant objects of art and tradition.
Catch the exhibition before it closes on October 26th!
一縷青竹，如何造就東亞藝術的精湛傑作？
展覽《竹藝巧編——中式古韻和式新編》進入最後倒數！現場展出逾二百件來自中日兩地的竹編工藝，展現竹藝由明清至今的創新與傳承。每一件珍品皆體現匠人巧思，將簡樸物料編織為藝術與文化的載體。
把握10月26日前的機會，萬勿錯過中日竹藝的美學對話！
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Bamboo Baskets: Chinese Origins, Japanese Innovations
展覽《竹藝巧編——中式古韻和式新編》
📆 June 25, 2025 - October 26, 2025
🎟️ Free Admission免費入場
📍 University Museum and Art Gallery, The University of Hong Kong
📍香港大學美術博物館
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#UMAG #BambooBaskets #ChineseOriginsJapaneseInnovations #竹藝巧編