Archaic bronzes

About 160 bronze vessels from the collection of the National Museum of China are currently on show at the Sanxingdui Museum in Guanghan, Sichuan province. They illustrate the rise and evolution of bronze culture from around the 19th century BC to the first century AD.A History Cast by Fine Metal runs until July and reveals the qualities and texture of bronzes referred to as jijin (fine metal work), and their significance in the early stage of Chinese civilization as the embodiment of state sovereignty, political hierarchy and social etiquette. Objects for various purposes are included: food and drink containers, musical instruments, weapons and armory, items for use on horses and carts, and other ornamental pieces.

The exhibition also investigates the philosophy behind the different shapes of bronze ware, their intricate patterns and the text inscriptions, which have been studied intensively and have influenced other categories of art and craft over the centuries until today.

Treasure hoard

In the 1980s, an earthen jar was discovered at a site in Yixian county in Hebei province. People were startled to discover hundreds of objects of gold, silver, jade, amber and other kinds of ornamentation. They displayed the artistic characteristics of the Northern Song period (960-1127) blended with features of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), which was founded by the nomadic tribes of northern China. A selection of 400 gold and silver pieces from this precious cache are currently on display in Reflective Light of Yishui River at the China Museum of Southern Water Town Culture in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. They are divided into the categories of wine vessels, accessories, currencies and other craft and illustrate the prosperous material and cultural lives of the time, as well as conflicts and exchange on the borders of the Song and Liao territories. The exhibition runs until Aug 11.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 95 Nandajie, Linping district, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8624-5461.