China: Symbols in Silk - Horniman Museum
Preview by Lizzie Guilfoyle
THIS summer, the Horniman Museum is hosting a new exhibition China: Symbols in Silk. Exploring symbolism in historic China, it’s on display from May 24, 2008 to September 7, 2009.
The exhibition showcases some of the Horniman’s historic objects, including a figure of the seated Buddha originally acquired by Museum founder Frederick Horniman in the late nineteenth century, as well as beautiful silk shoes and embroidered robes.
Many of the objects were originally collected by Christian missionaries visiting China after the Opium Wars of the mid-nineteenth century and have not been displayed for a generation.
The exhibition, curated by the Horniman Museum’s Deputy Keeper of Anthropology Dr Fiona Kerlogue, will explore how symbols have been interpreted and used in textiles and objects throughout China’s history.
Focusing on the years before The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, the exhibition includes a nineteenth century diviners’ compass, a symbolic object used by feng shui masters who were consulted on the suitability of housing locations and even burial sites. Feng shui states that individuals should live in harmony with the environment and so locate and organise their homes accordingly.
Other objects demonstrate how symbols were used to decorate everyday items including clothing, religious hangings and domestic objects. The Chinese word ‘fu,’ meaning happiness, has the same sound as the word for bat. Consequently, the bat itself is a symbol of happiness and is incorporated into the design of many of the objects shown, including a tray which shows five bats together, signifying the Five Blessings of longevity, health, wealth, virtue and a natural death.
Speaking about the exhibition, Dr Fiona Kerlogue said: “This exhibition, containing pieces from a distant past and a distant country, evokes the final decades of imperial China. We hope visitors will be inspired to explore the rich world of Chinese symbolism.”
On May 24, a uniquely created art installation highlighting Chinese communities in London will be unveiled to the public as part of the China Now celebrations. The work of British Chinese artist Hale Man, A Mirrored Community explores the rich historical symbolism of China: Symbols in Silk, which was her inspiration for the project.
The installation highlights the importance of symbols for a modern Chinese audience and is based on the design of a Chinese pincushion, an object commonly used in sewing and needlework. The pincushion’s centre is surrounded by several figures holding hands, symbolising community, a theme that Hale Man and the Horniman Museum’s Chinese Community Project Officer Valerie Chang explored by working with local community groups.
From May 14, visitors to the Horniman Museum will be able to observe Hale Man in residence as she completes the installation, accompanied by some members of the local Chinese community groups. The pincushion is expected to be around six metres in diameter and will be suspended from Gallery Square’s ceiling, providing an eye-catching focal point for the Museum. A mirror above the sculpture will reflect its design and emphasise the feeling of community which gives the piece its name, A Mirrored Community.
The installation will be created using wire craft, echoing the thousand-year-old embroidery techniques used to create many of the textiles on display in the China: Symbols in Silk exhibition. Wire craft involves weaving wires together like thread. Local community groups including Lambeth Chinese School’s youth group and Lambeth and Southwark’s Chinese and Vietnamese Women’s Groups will help to create the figures. They will also create their own Chinese symbols such as dragons, bats and cranes, which will then be attached to the pincushion’s centre and the completed figures.
As Artist Hale Man explained: “This project invites the Horniman’s local Chinese communities to take part in the creation of this installation, engaging them with China’s historic symbolism, as well as providing an insight into Chinese culture for all the Horniman’s visitors.”
And Chinese Community Project Officer Valerie Chang described the work as a stimulating and exciting art education project. “The workshops are engaging participants and inviting them to explore their cultural heritage. By taking part in the workshops, many of the participants are experiencing the Horniman Museum for the first time, and for the children taking part, they are learning the meaning behind some of the symbols prevalent in historical China.”
The installation will be accompanied by a selection of Hale Man’s work as well as drawings and paintings produced in the workshops. An accompanying display case, Footprints of the Dragon, invites members of the wider Chinese communities in London to donate photos, objects and memorabilia relating to their heritage.
For more information about the Horniman Museum call 020 8699 1872 or visit the website.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ.