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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Soak up China tea history 
at Zhejiang Museum

By Wu Huixin | 00:00 UTC+8 January 16, 2025 | Print Edition

The Zhejiang Museum is hosting a Tea World exhibition until April 6.

Held in partnership with the Palace Museum, it showcases 114 artifacts from the Song (960-1279) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. They include porcelains, lacquered vessels, ink-wash paintings, calligraphy, centuries-old tea leaves and ancient scripts.

The exhibition focuses on Emperor Huizong (1082-1135) of the Song Dynasty and Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) of the Qing Dynasty, demonstrating the tea culture passed down through the ages.

Emperor Huizong, a well-known painter in Chinese art history, was a strong advocate for calligraphy and painting. Despite his shortcomings as a monarch, he was well-known for his poetic, artistic and musical abilities.

Beijing’s Palace Museum lists some of his works as national treasures. The emperor was also a big benefactor of artists, reorganizing the Painting Academy during his reign.

People regard Song Dynasty’s ink-wash paintings as the pinnacle of ancient art and the distinctive element of traditional Chinese aesthetics, and Huizong’s works are the best among the Song paintings.

The painting on display depicts a butterfly soaring over a ripe loquat branch. Huizong utilized light ink to depict the animal’s attitude, posture and feathers. A single stroke produced astonishing tonal variations, spanning from deep black to silvery gray, showcasing the painter’s profound mastery of balancing ink concentration with water content.

When discussing Song Dynasty’s tea culture, it is impossible to overlook the other three activities: painting, playing the six-string zither and burning incense. At the time, the royal court prioritized the humanities, focusing on people’s inner emotions and employing a minimalist artistic style. Scholars lived artistic lifestyles and created general entertainment activities that complemented tea.

Imperial officials, townspeople and the royal family regularly consumed tea during the Song Dynasty. Unlike modern drinking habits, people during the Song Dynasty had finely powdered tea derived from processed green tea leaves.

The artifacts on display feature several classical Song Dynasty designs, primarily green and white pottery with muted colors and a serene simplicity. Due to their similar texture and finish, these vessels have been compared to jade. They blend the characteristics of celadon from southern China and white porcelain from northern China.

Jianzhan, also known as black-glazed bowl, was extensively utilized in tea rituals. As Japanese monks concluded their studies in China and returned to their homeland, they carried with them the black-glazed bowls. Today, Japan recognizes several Song Dynasty black-glazed tea bowls as its national treasures. The black glaze on display still shines after over a millennium. The tea bowl, with its tiny, hare’s fur-like patterns, is considered the finest version.

People of the Qing Dynasty preferred elaborate vessels over minimalist alternatives, as indicated by the exhibits displayed. A collection of Qing Dynasty cloisonné enameled containers demonstrate the aesthetic values and expertise of the artists of the time.

Cloisonné is a decorative enamelwork technique in which intricate designs formed with copper, silver or fine gold wires on metal vessels are either filled or painted with enamel before being burnt in a kiln. Craftspeople painstakingly create wire patterns using tweezers and custom-made pliers.

Since copper is inexpensive, lightweight, and easily hammered and stretched, it is considered the most suited material. A piece of cloisonné takes hundreds of steps to complete, requiring a craftsman’s care and inventiveness. The royal family was the exclusive user of cloisonné ceremonial vessels.

The blue-and-white porcelains were popular among people in the Qing Dynasty. A coat of glaze containing a blue color, typically cobalt oxide, embellished the white porcelain. The decoration is usually applied by hand or with stencils. The exhibition features pieces created during the reign of Emperor Qianlong.

Date: Through April 6 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm

Venue: Zhijiang Pavilion of Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Zhijiang Culture Center

Address: 300 Jianghan Rd

江涵路300号

Hangzhou


 

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