The two Ming Dynasty terracotta figures lost overseas "go home" and officially enter the Shanghai Museum
2021-12-14
Yesterday morning, at the ceremony of donating cultural relics to Tibet hosted by the State Administration of cultural relics, Ms. Susanna fratus of California donated two pottery figurines of the Ming Dynasty to Shanghai Museum. According to reports, in April this year, the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco received a postal express from Ms. Suzanne, containing photos of two colored terracotta figures and a letter. The letter described the origin of his family and the two terracotta figures, and made it clear that he hoped to donate cultural relics to the Shanghai Museum through the Chinese government and return them to the Chinese people. The State Administration of cultural relics immediately organized photo identification and other related work. After a lot of investigation and analysis, it was preliminarily judged that the two terracotta figures were indeed Chinese cultural relics. In August, the State Administration of cultural relics approved the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of cultural relics and designated the Shanghai Museum as the recipient of the two pottery figurines, requiring the return, counting and transportation of cultural relics. Over the next three months, the State Administration of cultural relics repeatedly communicated and coordinated with the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco, Ms. Suzanne, the Shanghai Bureau of cultural relics, the Shanghai Museum and other parties, and finally completed the return of cultural relics on November 26, and the terracotta figurines officially returned to the motherland. On December 2, the State Administration of cultural relics guided the Shanghai Museum to organize experts to carry out physical identification, and confirmed that the two terracotta figures are the Ming Dynasty objects used for burial in history. They are the same as the tire quality and low-temperature lead glaze applied on the surface of a set of 66 terracotta figures of the Ming Dynasty collected by the Shanghai Museum. Their shapes and production styles are very similar, especially consistent with seven pointed hat standing terracotta figures, but there are some differences in details, It is not a set, but should be works of the same period and region. These two terracotta figures have important collection value. They are precious material materials for studying China's ancient tomb system and pottery making history. They are classified as national level III cultural relics. It is revealed that John Herbert Waite, the grandfather of Ms. Susanna, is a professor at Harvard Medical School. He practiced medicine in China and other Asian countries in the early 20th century. After curing eye diseases for a rich Chinese child, he received these two terracotta figures as a reward. One of the pottery figurines was damaged, which was preliminarily repaired by Suzanne's grandmother and handed over to Ms. Suzanne for inheritance. In 1983, in order to celebrate the sister city between Shanghai and San Francisco, the Shanghai Museum went to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco to hold the Shanghai Museum Collection - 6000 year Chinese art exhibition. Ms. Suzanne found that a set of terracotta warriors of honor at the exhibition was very similar to the terracotta warriors she had collected. Over the past 40 years, she has always looked forward to returning cultural relics to the Chinese people in an appropriate way. "Today is of great significance because it marks the return of the two pottery figurines after they were lost more than 100 years." A short video from Ms. Suzanne was broadcast at the donation ceremony. She said that it is a great honor to return the two terracotta figures to the Chinese people. The separation of the two terracotta figures has witnessed a hundred years of history and inspired people to be friendly, respect and help each other. She admired China's beautiful cultural and artistic achievements and decided to send it back to her hometown. The return of the two terracotta figures is not through money or political means, but because of the power of love and respect for the Chinese people. In order to commemorate this wonderful story of cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, the Shanghai Museum specially planned the "thousands of instruments and images - special exhibition of colored glazed pottery figurines of the Ming Dynasty". The set of colored glazed honor guard figurines that appeared at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco in 1983 were displayed on the same stage with two returned pottery figurines from abroad. A total of 66 of them, including figurines, horse riding figurines and all kinds of people needed by the honor guard, as well as some etiquette and daily necessities, lined up in a spectacular manner. Industry insiders believe that the return of these two terracotta figures is of special significance at a time when the international situation and the global epidemic situation are complex and changeable. It shows the friendly feelings of ordinary Americans towards the Chinese people, highlights the "real value of art" contained in the return of cultural relics, expresses the common wish of people of all countries to work together to protect human cultural heritage, and will promote more lost cultural relics to "go home". As the largest port for the entry and exit of cultural relics in China, Shanghai has deeply participated in the return and return of cultural relics. Since the first entry Expo, it has become the "main channel" and "main position" for the return of international cultural relics and works of art. (outlook new era)
Edit：Yuanqi Tang Responsible editor：Xiao Yu
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