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Timeless Legacy: The Mok Family Collections

26.7.2008 - 8.3.2009 Gallery I & III,

In the nineteenth-and-twentieth centuries compradors, replacing the Thirteen Hongs of the early China trade, played a significant role as the Chinese elite in Hong Kong. Compradors and the south-north traders were two dominant forces of the Chinese merchant class and they assumed the role of community leaders. Among the many compradors, the Mok Sze Yeung (1820-1879) family from Xiangshan, Guangdong was one of the best known not only for their riches and influences, but also for remaining the comprador of Swire for several generations. Being the commercially successful, the Mok family shows great care for the community, especially in philanthropic work and education. In addition, the pursuit of Chinese art and antiquities is yet another distinguished family tradition.

This exhibition presents the Mok family collections of three generations in two galleries. Featured at Gallery I are the highlights from the collections of Mok Kong Sang, Mok Hing Yiu and Cheng Xun Tang, including paintings, calligraphy, objects for the scholar's studio, ceramics and jades. These are further supplemented by ancestral furniture and portraits. Gallery III is dedicated to the Edrina collection of Ming and Qing imperial costumes. While this exhibition shows the continuity and varieties in the Mok family collections, it provides glimpses into China's rich art and cultural heritage.

Heavenly Splendour: The Edrina Collection of the Ming and Qing Imperial Costumes
A sub-exhibition of Timeless Legacy: The Mok Family Collections

26.7.2008 - 29.3.2009 Gallery III

Art Museum The Chinese imperial costumes of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) periods have fascinated the masters of the Edrina Collection for years. Being part of the larger loan exhibition - Timeless Legacy: The Mok Family Collections, a selection of costumes including formal court robes (chaofu), semi-formal court robes (jifu), daily and casual robes (changfu and bianfu), as well as some rank badges (buzi) and a few yardages, together with accessories, for use from the Imperial members to the officials, will be the highlights in the display.

Heavenly Steeds: Horses in Chinese Art

14.7.2008 - 8.2.2009 Gallery II

The horse has been a favourite theme in Chinese Art. As ideograms "horse" are found on oracle bones of the Shang dynasty (1600 - 1046 BC), Shang bronzes feature horses in their decorations. The close relationship between horse and man is not only recorded in the daily lives of people, but is also revealed in the works of Chinese artists. In different media, their works illustrate the rich Chinese cultural heritage in horses over the centuries. To celebrate the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Equestrian Events in Hong Kong, this exhibition features all forms of horses in Chinese art. It starts with bronze seals of the Warring States and Han periods, a Han bronze horse head, Han period bricks and rubbings of stone carvings with horse scenes. For Chinese ceramics, there are painted pottery horses of the Han and the Northern Dynasties, horses and riders with straw glaze of the Sui, flamboyant sancai horses of the Tang, and also blue and white wares of the Yuan to Qing periods. In addition, there are paintings by celebrated artists from the late Ming to the Qing and modern China, and fine art objects made for the scholar's studio in wood, bamboo, ivory and glass The exhibits are assembled from local private collections and the Art Museum Collection.

Excitements of Digging in Hong Kong

12.9.2008 - 7.2009, Gallery IV

Illustrated by artefacts unearthed from excavations in Hong Kong this exhibibition introduces aspects of archaeology and research outputs of the Centre for Chinese Archaeologdy and Art, CUHK in recent years. Topics will include: what is archaeology, archaeology and science, stratigraphy in archaeology, spread of Shang culture of the Central Plain to the south, and local ancient ornament workshops.