[2025 Hangzhou Attraction] Travel Guide for Zhejiang University Museum of Art and Archaeology (Updated Sep)

Exchange and Renewal - The Asian Civilizations on the Silk Road The exhibition currently being held at the Zhejiang University Museum of Archaeology is one I decided to visit without hesitation after seeing the list of co-organizers. The overseas co-organizer is the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum, and all the cultural relics from abroad are from this museum. Mr. Hirayama Ikuo is a famous Japanese painter, honorary president of the former Japan-China Friendship Association, the sixth president of Tokyo University of the Arts, and a goodwill ambassador for UNESCO, mainly responsible for the rescue of world cultural heritage. The old gentleman has a special affection for the Silk Road, is very fond of Dunhuang art, has visited Dunhuang for field painting many times, and has worked on the protection of world cultural heritage in countries along the Silk Road that have been ravaged by war. The exhibition not only encompasses a rich variety of items from various countries along the Silk Road, ranging from pottery to porcelain, from glass to Buddha statues, but also includes silk fabrics from different regions and eras, which are rarely seen in such scale and variety in usual comprehensive exhibitions.

The new exhibition in Hangzhou 💯 is stunned by the dazzling splendor of Asian civilizations!! 5.18 International Museum Day The Zhejiang University Museum of Art and Archaeology really outdid itself! This new exhibition is held in conjunction with the first Asian Civilizations Week at Zhejiang University, showcasing the essence of Asian civilizations to the fullest! Took lots of cute and lovely cultural relics ❤️ 💁 About the exhibition: This exhibition, as an important part of the first 'Asian Civilizations Week' at Zhejiang University, is co-organized by the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum of Art in Japan, Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Liangzhu Museum, Hangzhou Museum and other institutions. With more than 210 pieces/sets of cultural relics spanning five thousand years, it presents the emergence, development, and exchange of Asian civilizations. 👉 Exhibition name: Exchange and Co-new: Asian Civilizations on the Silk Road 📆 Exhibition period: 2024.5.10—8.10 🎟 Tickets: Free with advance reservation 📍 Location: Zhejiang University Museum of Art and Archaeology

Asia is the cradle of human civilization, having created the three great ancient civilizations: the Mesopotamian civilization in Western Asia, the Indus Valley civilization in South Asia, and the Chinese civilization in East Asia. The Indus Valley civilization had a widespread worship of animals, with the humped bull symbolizing male fertility and revered as a sacred beast. Seals were mostly square, made primarily of steatite, but also of clay and earth. They are believed to have been used to mark trade goods. In the 6th century BC, Western Asia saw the earliest artificial smelting of metal products. Coins of the Kushan and Sasanian Empires retained many characteristics of Greek coins and were an important settlement currency in Silk Road trade, gradually replaced by Arab coins after the 7th century. Chinese coins such as the Han Wuzhu, Tang Kaiyuan Tongbao, and Song dynasty era coins also served as a medium of exchange on the Silk Road, influencing the coin culture of East Asia and Southeast Asia. The hammering and chasing crafts of Iran, which appeared during the Elamite period, reached their zenith during the Sasanian dynasty. China had been utilizing these techniques since the Shang dynasty, which matured during the Tang dynasty and were widely applied in the making of gold and silver vessels. In the first half of the 1st millennium BC, most of Asia's early civilizations entered the Iron Age. Around 3500 BC, the Mesopotamian region began using copper-tin alloy technology to cast well-performing tin bronze, entering the Bronze Age. Early on, forging was used, while later periods often employed stone mold casting or the lost-wax casting method.

On the maritime and overland Silk Roads, items such as metals, silk, ceramics, glass, and sculptures for trade and religious purposes circulated, promoting civilizational exchanges and mutual learning among various regions in Asia. During the Song Dynasty, many regions in Asia had already mastered silk weaving techniques, and some even exported 'barbarian cloth' to China. Silk gradually became a supplementary currency due to its long-term preservation, resistance to decay, and high value. Samite, with patterns highlighted by the weft, is a craft formed in Western Asia by combining Chinese weaving techniques with local wool weaving techniques, featuring weft-patterned and twill structures. It is simple and versatile, allowing for richer patterns. After being introduced to China, it replaced warp-patterned brocade as the main variety during the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Kesi, or cut silk, appeared no later than the Tang Dynasty, mainly influenced by the Khotanese method of wool weaving, and reached its peak during the Song Dynasty. The traditional Indonesian attire Ikat refers to a type of fabric that combines dyeing and weaving, originating from India and flourishing in China during the Tang Dynasty. The hunting pattern is a typical theme of Sassanian art, emphasizing the portrayal of figures. With the continuous eastward spread of Central Asian culture, the Chinese hunting pattern became an important theme in silk patterns, prevailing during the Tang Dynasty. The pearl roundel pattern originated from Western Asia and was extremely popular in Central Asia. Using the pearl roundel as a framework to encase thematic patterns is a typical characteristic of Sassanian textiles, with animals being an important thematic pattern.

The earliest jade ware was not entirely a craft. In addition to decoration, it was also used for sacrifices, ceremonies, and funerals. The belt hook is a hook for ancient people to tie their belts. It first appeared in the late Western Zhou Dynasty tomb No. 7 in Penglai Village, Shandong Province in the Yellow River Basin. It became popular during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and was very common in the Qin and Han dynasties. The belt hook declined after the Wei and Jin dynasties, lost its practical function, and became a plaything for scholars. The inkstone is both a practical tool and a fine object for literati to play with and offer in the study. The brick and tile inkstones of the Han and Jin dynasties, the clear mud inkstones of the Tang Dynasty, and the most popular Duanxi stone inkstones after the Tang and Song dynasties are all highly regarded ancient inkstones.

The earliest pottery in China appeared about 10,000 years ago. According to its surface condition or texture, pottery is divided into three categories: red pottery, gray pottery, white pottery, and later there appeared imprinted hard pottery, glazed pottery, etc. Hunan is the region where the most white pottery was found in the Neolithic Age. The tradition of using gray pottery was basically formed and widely spread during the Longshan culture period. However, black pottery appeared in the Dawenkou and Liangzhu cultural areas. Primitive porcelain is the transition from imprinted hard pottery to mature porcelain. From the early Shang to the Han, it was mostly produced in the southeastern region represented by Deqing. The imprinted hard pottery originated in the late Neolithic Age and flourished in the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The earliest known example is found in the Shishan culture of Fujian County. The earliest glazed pottery discovered in our country is the glazed pottery pot of the Qi State in Linzi during the Warring States Period. In the Guanzhong region of the Han Dynasty, green glazed pottery appeared, and early glazed pottery was mostly used for burial. Han and Jin tombs often used soul bottles (tomb bottles), which were manifested as five-tube bottles and stacked grain storage cans in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The five-tube bottle was popular from the Han to the Three Kingdoms, while the stacked grain storage can was popular from the Three Kingdoms to the Western Jin, developed from the five-tube bottle, and the top was added with stacked buildings. From the two Jin to the Sui of the Southern Dynasties, the chicken head pot became more upright. The craftsmanship and production of Tang Dynasty's tri-colored glazed pottery reached its peak, with Gongxian kiln and Ding kiln being the most famous. Tang Dynasty white porcelain represented by Xing kiln and Gongxian kiln, and celadon represented by Yue kiln, formed a situation of 'southern green and northern white'. The history of black porcelain can be traced back to the Deqing kiln of the Han Dynasty, and Jian kiln appeared in the Jianyang area during the Northern Song Dynasty. Celadon began in the Five Dynasties and flourished in the Two Songs, also known as 'shadow celadon'. The earliest celadon in the south was seen in Raozhou kiln (i.e., Jingdezhen Hutian kiln) in Jiangxi and Xuancheng kiln in Anhui. Northern celadon, originated in the Five Dynasties period of Shaanxi Huangpu, namely Yaozhou kiln, some full glaze firing, fall 'official' word section. The Yaozhou kiln in the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty was famous for its carving and printing, and some of the Jun porcelain decorated with copper red spots appeared in western Henan. Ru porcelain with agate in the glaze appeared. The official kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty was famous for its milky thick glaze, and the commonly used biscuit-shaped support nails were fired separately.