Visitors to the Tokyo National Museum (TNM) this summer have been thrilled to find displays of not only the usual Japanese treasures, but also priceless Chinese artifacts from the National Palace Museum (NPM) in Taipei. The Tokyo exhibition, which runs from June 24 to September 15 this year, marks the first time that the NPM has ever lent items from its collection to another institution in Asia. The show also marks the beginning of the biggest cultural exchange to be held by the Republic of China (ROC) and Japan in recent years. After the Tokyo exhibition, the NPM’s antiquities will go on display at the Kyushu National Museum (KNM) in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan from October 7 to November 30, while pieces from the Japanese museums will be exhibited in Taiwan in 2016.
After more than 10 years of preliminary talks and negotiations, in October 2013 the NPM and the Japanese museums sealed a reciprocal loan agreement in Taipei. The NPM, which opened its doors in Taipei’s Shilin District in 1965, is home to nearly 700,000 Chinese artifacts and artworks from the Neolithic to the modern era, some of which are up to 8,000 years old. In 2013, more than 4.5 million people visited the museum, with mainland China and Japan leading all other countries in terms of the number of overseas visitors.
NPM Director Fung Ming-chu (馮明珠) points out that the Chinese and Japanese cultures have played major roles in the history of East Asian civilization. “It’s our hope that the exhibitions will allow Japanese citizens to appreciate the essence of Chinese culture while consolidating relations between the ROC and Japan,” she says. On several occasions, ROC President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has emphasized that Taiwan and Japan enjoy a special partnership and has called on the two sides to enhance cultural, economic, trade and tourism ties. The exchanges between leading museums of the two countries fall in line with Ma’s vision and have been hailed as an historic breakthrough in bilateral cultural cooperation.
San Pan, a bronze work from the Western Zhou period (1046–771 B.C.), is one of 231 treasures from the NPM’s collection now appearing in exhibitions in Japan. (Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum)
The Tokyo exhibition, titled Treasured Masterpieces from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was made possible when the Japanese Diet passed the Law Concerning Promotion of Exhibitions of Art Objects from Overseas in March 2011. In essence, the law ensures that cultural objects lent by foreign institutions are immune from seizure in Japan. “Exchanging exhibitions of masterpieces while bearing the principle of reciprocity in mind was the greatest challenge faced by the two sides, but we eventually reached a consensus,” Fung says.
The NPM has set two conditions for loaning items to other countries. “First, there must be a guarantee that the loaned items won’t be impounded,” Fung explains. “Second, the foreign partner needs to respect and use the museum’s official name: the National Palace Museum.” Before this summer’s Tokyo exhibition, the Taipei museum had only lent artifacts to institutions in Austria, Germany, France and the United States, all of which have laws prohibiting the seizure of loaned cultural objects.
After the law guaranteeing the return of loaned items was passed, Japan and Taiwan stepped up exchange negotiations. On the Japanese side, the KNM and TNM proposed a “dream list” of items they hoped to receive from the NPM. After a careful review of the list and extensive discussions between curators from both countries, a total of 231 quintessential Chinese treasures from the NPM’s collection—comprising everything from ancient works of calligraphy, embroidery, jade and lacquer to books, bronzes, ceramics and paintings—were selected for the exhibitions in Japan.
“The pieces we chose are in prime condition, and there is no need to worry about transporting and exhibiting them safely,” Fung says. “They’re all representative works of different periods and well-known pieces by acknowledged Chinese masters.” The items lent to the Japanese museums include the Jadeite Cabbage with Insects and the Meat-Shaped Stone, which are two of the NPM’s most popular attractions. The Jadeite Cabbage is on display only at the TNM for two weeks, while the Meat-Shaped Stone will make a similar exclusive appearance at the KNM. The exchanges mark the first time either of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) works has been exhibited overseas.
Detail from The Cold Food Observance, a handscroll by Song dynasty (960–1279) calligrapher Su Shi (1037–1101) (Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum)
The Jadeite Cabbage, which measures 18.7 centimeters long and 9.1 centimeters wide, is a piece of fine jade carved into the shape of a Chinese cabbage with a katydid and locust on its leaves. The work is thought to represent female virtues, with the white stalk symbolizing purity and the insects exemplifying fertility. The Meat-Shaped Stone, which measures 5.73 centimeters high and 6.6 centimeters wide and was created from a solid block of banded jasper, resembles a popular Chinese dish called Dongpo pork, which consists of a slab of pork cooked in soy sauce.
Another standout item from the NPM is the massive collection of major Chinese literary works compiled by successive dynasties and titled the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries.
Works of calligraphy and painting are also of great interest to the Japanese museums. Fung says Japanese calligraphers and painters have long been influenced by their Chinese counterparts. She notes that many Japanese people are interested in Chinese calligraphy and painting, a fact reflected by the high number of Japanese visitors to the NPM over the years. “We decided to include many of these works in the exhibition to satisfy the preferences of Japanese viewers and draw more visitors,” the director says. Accordingly, popular items now on display in Tokyo include calligraphic works such as Su Shi’s (蘇軾, 1037–1101) The Cold Food Observance and Sun Guoting’s (孫過庭, 646–691) Treatise on Calligraphy, as well as paintings like Han Gan’s (韓幹, ca. 706–783) Two Horses and A Groom, Wu Yuanzhi’s (武元直, ca. 12th century) The Red Cliff and Ma Yuan’s (馬遠, ca. 1160–1225) Attending an Imperial Banquet.
Substitute Display
Of course, the temporary loan of some of the NPM’s top treasures has sparked local concerns over what the museum will offer visitors in their absence, although the Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone will not be sent to Japan at the same time. The former is absent from the NPM from June 17 through July 10, while the latter will be away from September 30 to October 23. The two pieces are usually displayed in Gallery 302 of the NPM, and a team led by Tsai Mei-fen (蔡玫芬), chief curator of the NPM’s Department of Antiquities, combed through the museum’s entire collection to come up with six replacements to feature in their place. Selection criteria included similarity to the traveling works, suitability for Gallery 302’s space and accordance with seasonal events.
Kui Tablet with Eagle Motif. The tablet itself is from the late Neolithic period (ca. 4300–3800 B.C.), while the upper section bears the seal of the Qianlong Emperor, who reigned from 1736 to 1795, and the lower section is engraved with one of his poems. (Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum)
Tsai says three works are being rotated in place of the Jadeite Cabbage. As that work is displayed on an enamel planter, the first substitute is the Planter with a Coral Carving of the God of Examinations, a piece that dates back to the Qing dynasty. The work features the coral figure of Kuixing, the Dao god of examinations, atop a planter carved from white jade and inlaid with gemstones. The fierce-faced god is said to oversee academic success and is worshipped by those taking exams. The dates for the work’s display were chosen to coincide with Taiwan’s summer exam season in order to confer blessings on examinees, Tsai says.
The Gold Chalice of Eternal Stability and the Jade Candlestick of Constant Harmony comprise the second set of works that will stand in for the Jadeite Cabbage. The chalice has a pair of handles with swirling, cloud-shaped patterns and the cup’s outer surface is encrusted with gems and pearls. The top of the chalice is engraved with four Chinese characters that mean territorial integrity and stability. The white jade candlestick has two saucer-shaped tiers for catching wax. Tsai explains that both works were used by the Qing court during a ceremony in which the emperor would write auspicious phrases to mark the Lunar New Year. As he did so, the emperor’s son or grandson would hold the candlestick and chalice, which conveyed the ideas of inherited tradition and dynastic permanence.
The third replacement for the Jadeite Cabbage is a set of exquisitely crafted mid-17th century wooden cups from the Roman Empire. The set originally included 100 paper-thin cups that could be stacked one inside the other, but only 79 now remain. “These cups demonstrate exceptional Western craftsmanship,” Tsai says. The largest cup, which is 5.8 centimeters in diameter and has a tall stem, “features lacelike decorative carvings and floral patterns, as well as indistinct marks left by the lathe it was made on,” she adds. “The exquisiteness and ingenious design of the cups not only caught the attention of the Qing court, but also influenced later Chinese craftsmanship.”
In October, when the Jadeite Cabbage has returned and the Meat-Shaped Stone is in Japan, the NPM will add the Small Jadeite Cabbage and the Jadeite Cabbage Floral Holder to the display. “It’s been 15 years since the three jadeite cabbages were displayed together,” Tsai says. “The media called for such an exhibition several times over the years, but it never happened because the objects’ differing colors, shapes and sizes make it difficult to display them together.” For example, the Jadeite Cabbage needs bright lighting to highlight its translucent stem and verdant leaves, but the Small Jadeite Cabbage’s blend of white and green jade is less translucent, which means it should not get as much light. The museum’s staff is currently striving to overcome such challenges in order to display the jadeite cabbages together in Gallery 302, the chief curator says.
Come October 2016, the Tokyo and Kyushu museums will reciprocate by providing about 150 works for the three-month Best of Japanese Art Special Exhibition to be held at the NPM Southern Branch in Chiayi County, southern Taiwan. The Chiayi museum is currently under construction and is expected to open in late 2015. Many of the items that will be loaned by the KNM and TNM have not been displayed abroad previously and their appearance in Chiayi will mark the largest overseas exhibition ever organized by Japan’s national museums.
Two Horses and a Groom
Han Gan (ca. 706–783)
Ink painting
27.5 x 34.1 cm (Photo courtesy of National Palace Museum)
National Treasures
The Japanese artifacts selected for display in Taiwan include 68 government-designated national treasures as well as other popular cultural items. The exhibition at the NPM Southern Branch is tentatively expected to center on six major themes: The Start of Ancient Culture: Life and Sacrifice; Introduction of Civilization: Buddhism and Law; Classical Beauty: the World of the Nobility; War and Leisure: Martial Culture; Merchants and Artisans in Early Urban Development; and Tradition and Innovation in the Modern Era. “The Best of Japanese Art Special Exhibition will present a systematic and comprehensive overview of the history of Japanese art and culture,” says Chen Jie-jin (陳階晉), an associate curator in the NPM’s Department of Painting and Calligraphy. “Visitors to the show can look forward to gaining a better understanding of Japanese culture and making exciting new discoveries.”
The TNM’s loaned items will include famous paintings such as Kujaku Myoo, a 12th-century portrait of a Wisdom King, a deity in the Japanese Buddhist pantheon; the 16th-century Maple-Viewing Screen and Cypress Trees Screen; and the Writing Box with Eight Bridges, a lacquered wood piece created in the 18th century. For its part, the KNM will loan the only three national treasures in its holdings—A Tale of Flowering Fortunes, a work of calligraphy from the 13th century; a 14th-century Tachi sword; and Zhou Maoshu Appreciating Lotuses, an ink painting from the 15th century.
Fung says she hopes the Best of Japanese Art Special Exhibition will attract a large number of visitors and promote the development of the new NPM Southern Branch, which is dedicated to Asian arts and cultures. In the meantime, the NPM will continue to explore the feasibility of organizing exchange exhibitions with foreign counterparts. The overall goal is to introduce the Taiwan museum’s collection to a global audience. “Artistic treasures are a part of culture, and those who admire Chinese culture will appreciate the rich diversity of the NPM collection,” the director says confidently. “At the same time, we hope to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the ROC and other countries by means of future exchange exhibitions.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw