"CHINESE BRONZE" EXHIBITION
By M. Makarian

AZG Armenian Daily
25/03/2008

Culture

Deputy-Minister of Culture Gagik Giurjian informed the reporters about
the schedule of culture events in Armenia through March-April 2008.

On March 25, by the initiative of the Culture Ministry of Armenia of
the Embassy of China in Armenia, the "Chinese Bronze" exhibition is
to be opened at the National Historic Museum.

The art of bronze forging has always been a part of the 5000 year-old
culture of China. The Chinese craftsmen have shaped over 10000 bronze
items over those ages, which are rightfully considered chefs d’oeuvres
of fine art.

Statues, ritual vessels and decorative plates – all those items were
unique and priceless. In later centuries it was decided to make the
copies of them, so that the foreigners could marvel at the beauty of
the Chinese arts. Numbers of copies of those rarest antique items
were made with great skill, and from time to time exhibited by the
initiative of the authorities of China.

The copies of 46 such bronze items are to be exhibited in the National
Historic Museum, Yerevan. According to Armenian and foreign experts,
even the copies, which are to be demonstrated at the coming exposition,
are of great cultural value. Among the masterpieces represented
on the exhibition, there is a statue of a horse, with the detailed
description of horse riding engraved upon it and a ritual vessel,
with an inscription containing the records of the greatest deeds of
eight Chinese emperors.