The Horniman Museum has embarked on two projects focused on China and the Chinese in London. An exhibition, China: Symbols in Silk, explores symbolism in historic China, whilst an art installation highlights Chinese communities in London.
China: Symbols in Silk 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 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 Deputy Keeper of Anthropology 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 in the exhibition 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. Similarly the word for crane, ’he,’ has the same sound as the word for harmony and cranes appear in many of the textiles on display, signifying longevity.
British Chinese artist Hale Man has taken inspiration from the rich historical symbolism of China: Symbols in Silk and explores this in her new work A Mirrored Community, which will be unveiled on 24 May.
Chinese Community Project Officer Valerie Chang described the installation 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.
Horniman Museum, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, London SE23 3PQ Telephone 020 8699 1872 or visit www.horniman.ac.uk
