Rite where it belongs
The Evolution of Rites in the East, a grand exhibition to trace the history and cultures originating in Shandong province, sparked good reviews when it was held at the Tsinghua University Art Museum from October to early this year. It has now returned home, where it will be on display at the Shandong Museum in the provincial capital of Jinan. The exhibition brings together more than 400 artifacts from the collections of different cultural venues in the province, providing a panoramic view of the ancient cultures that thrived in the province and were integrated into wider Chinese civilization.
Several items on show are classified as culturally significant.
These include a red, animal-shaped pottery kettle belonging to the Neolithic Dawenkou Culture, a bronze ax-blade from the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC), the hollow carvings of which form the face of an impressive beast, and a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) crown — or nine-string mian — which was excavated from the tomb of Zhu Tan, with the title of Prince of Lu.
9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 11899 Jingshi Lu, Jinan, Shandong province. 0531-8505-8201.
