More than 20 terracotta sculptures from the mausoleum of China's
first emperor will be shown at the British Museum this
September.
"This first emperor is fascinating and we are truly excited
about the arrival of the terracottas from Xi'an," Neil MacGregor,
director of the British Museum, told China Daily.
In addition to the sculptures, English clocks from the royal
collection of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) will travel from the
Palace Museum in Beijing to London.
Exchange programs like this started with the Britain Meet the
World exhibition, which is ongoing in Beijing. The idea of bringing
18th-century British history to China first came up in 2004, when
MaGregor and Li Ji, managing director of the Palace Museum in
Beijing, met to discuss possible joint projects.
"We browsed through the collections of the British Museum, and
both were fascinated by the idea that there was somehow a parallel
between the Britain of 200 years ago and the China of today, that
is, the economic prosperity and an enthusiasm for meeting the
world," said MacGregor.
From the talks, the decision was made to stage an exhibition of
works from Georgian Britain (from 1714 to 1830), a period that
witnessed the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution.
The funding was no problem: A member of the British Museum's
board of trustees was from the family of Robert Ho, the Hong Kong
real estate icon, and he proposed that his family foundation
sponsor the project.
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation is a charitable
organization that was established in HK in 2005. Its mission is to
foster and promote Chinese arts and culture, and Buddhist
philosophy worldwide. "We are most pleased to be the sponsor of
this unique and inspiring exhibition, as it provides a rare glimpse
into Britain as the emerging power that it was back in the 18th and
19th centuries," Ho said.
"The fresh perspectives this exhibition offers will no doubt be
a great learning experience for us all in the way we see history,
China, ourselves, and the world today."
Ho also pledged that his foundation will play an even more
prominent role in the coming years to support even more
international exhibitions.
Among a dozen projects sponsored by the foundation, one of the
most influential was the modernized version of the classic Kunqu
opera Peony Pavilion.
"We are looking forward to working with institutions around the
world that share a real passion for Chinese arts and culture," said
Caroline Pfohl-Ho, president of the foundation.
(China Daily March 16, 2007)
