Cultural exchanges in glass art

By Zhang Liying: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, March 22, 2022

An exhibition of ancient glass art titled "Marvelous Colors, Manifold Forms: Cultural Exchanges in Glass Art among the Ancient East and West" is underway at the Tsinghua University Art Museum in Beijing.

The show is based on the 325 pieces or sets collected by the Hirayama Ikuo Silk Road Museum in Japan and supported by various Chinese cultural and museum institutions.

In chronological order, the exhibition consists of four sections— "Conception and Origins," "Dissemination and Integration," "Bloom and Brilliance," and "West and East" —tracing the history of glassmaking and cultural exchanges between the East and the West in ancient times through glass art.

Glass is an essential artificial material. Since the Bronze Age, many glass remains have been found in Eurasia and North Africa, reflecting the spread, evolution, exchange, and integration of art, technology, and trades among different civilizations.

Chinese glass' unique oriental crafts and arts further influenced the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

The exhibition, running until May 5, demonstrates the practical significance of the cultural exchanges between the East and the West and the inclusiveness and creativeness of Chinese culture.