Tales of two cities
China-Japan exhibition showcases over 100 artifacts from 18th century Tokyo and Beijing
Examining artifacts from 18th century Beijing and Edo – today’s Tokyo – side by side in the same venue might help people get to see just how stunningly similar the two cities sitting across the sea from each other used to be.
Displaying some 181 sets of artifacts from Beijing’s Capital Museum and Japan’s Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum, the free coexhibition The Metropolises and the Prosperities: Tokyo and Beijing in the 18th Century kicked off at Beijing’s Capital Museum on Tuesday.
About two-thirds of the precious relics shown at the exhibition in Beijing are from the Japanese museum and range from kimonos and samurai swords to a series of Ukiyoe, a Japanese art form involving paintings and prints that flourished during the 17th century.
A number of these exhibits were already shown in Tokyo when the co-exhibition debuted there last year.
While the 2017 Tokyo exhibition focused more on exhibits from Chinese museums, also two-thirds of the display, the Capital Museum show this time highlight exhibits from Japan, according to the organizers at Tuesday’s opening ceremony.
“The 2017 exhibition in Tokyo saw more than 40,000 visitors during its 44-day run and triggered widespread discussion, especially among young people in the country,” said Fujimori Terunobu, curator of the Edo-Tokyo Museum, in a speech at the Tuesday event.
The Japanese curator noted that he hopes the Capital Museum exhibition will also help visitors in China better understand the history of Edo and help strengthen the friendship between the two cities.
Close bonds
Divided into three sections, the exhibition explores the two cities’ history and culture via urban planning, architecture, art as well as everyday life such as major festivals and customs, business practices, education and forms of entertainment.
Two of the biggest highlights of the exhibition are a replica of Kidai Shoran, a 12-meter-long Japanese scroll painting from 1805 depicting the prosperity of the Nihonbashi district in the late 18th century, and an almost equally as long Capital Museum woodblock print depicting the 60th birthday celebration for the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) Kangxi Emperor (reign: 1661-1722). The two artworks lie parallel to each other, allowing visitors to compare and contrast the art styles of the two nations.
Nearby, a dark blue royal outfit hangs side by side with a pink Edo kimono made of hemp fiber. Both of the two clothing items are decorated with patterns of flying cranes.
“Crane patterns often appear on the clothing of first-class Qing Dynasty civil officials while the typical crane-patterned Edo kimono also shows exceptional beauty,” Zhang Liang, a member from the Capital Museum who helped organize the exhibition, told media.
Several Ukiyo-e paintings and a Qing Dynasty scroll paintings featuring scenes from daily life at the time are arranged in neighboring circular glass cases. Though the figures in these artworks are dressed differently, the similarities among people of the same profession echo in an interesting way.
Since ancient Japan adopted the Chinese calendar, the two cultures celebrate many of the same festivals and, according to the exhibits on display, do so in a similar way. Both the chrysanthemum decorations in an Edo painting depicting the celebration of the Double Ninth Festival and the depiction of Chinese legendary goddess figure Zhinü (weaver girl) in another Edo painting for the Double Seventh Festival showcase these cultural links.
The exhibition also puts on display a copy of a Tang Dynasty (618-907) poem collection published in both Japanese and Chinese in 1790. At the time a popular guide book to the Chinese literature genre, the book is illustrated with caricatures that try to explain to the reader the meanings of the ancient Chinese poems.
Aside from items related to China, exotic kabuki costumes and a series of exquisitely-made Japanese miniature models and clay toys have also been big hits among visitors.
Though many of the exhibits’ detailed introductions are in Chinese, English and Japanese explanations are given to help enlighten overseas visitors.
The co-exhibition is a major project for the annual China-Japan-South Korea museum curator seminar that started on Wednesday. Entering its 17th session this year, the seminar attended by curators and representatives from China’s Capital Museum and the Shenyang Palace Museum, Japan’s Tokyo Metropolitan Edo-Tokyo Museum and South Korea’s Seoul Museum of History aims to discuss academic cooperation among the four museums.
The exhibition will run until October 7. Tickets are free, but must be booked in advance through the museum’s official website: http:// en.capitalmuseum.org.cn/