The Tucson Museum of Art to open 'The Renaissance of China'

Tuesday, 16 December 2008 22:05

Tucson, AZ - Exquisite bronzes, sculpture, earthenware and antique Chinese furniture are featured in a unique exhibition now on view at the Tucson Museum of Art. Han and Beyond – The Renaissance of China: Antiquities from the James Conley Collection is a large exhibition of more than 100 works of art from the Neolithic period (ca. 3,000 B.C.) to Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911), and offers a rare opportunity to view remarkable objects drawn from nearly five thousand years of China’s creative inspiration. Tucson Chinese Cultural Center celebrates the Year of the Ox on Saturday, January 24 from 5:00 – 7:00 pm at the Museum.

The Conley Collection is impressive in both its scope and quality and many of these pieces have never been on public display. James Conley has been collecting Chinese art for over forty years, and is enamored with the Han period. The Han Dynasty (221 BCE – 220 CE) is often termed the Golden age of ancient China. “It was the most remarkable civilization in ancient times,” Conley says, “Influenced by a Taoist perspective, the Han set in motion an evolutionary approach to the development of Chinese art that lasted for over two thousand years,” Conley says. 

Han and Beyond – The Renaissance of China provides both an introduction to Chinese art for the uninitiated, and an opportunity for specialists and scholars alike to enjoy important materials worthy of further exploration and research. 

Collection highlights include paintings with scenes of courtly life and palace exteriors, porcelain vessels, and an installation of an artist’s studio – as well as historical narratives, court furnishings and accoutrements of exquisite carvings in jade, lacquer, wood, and bronze, and a rare large Yuan portrait meticulously rendered in a colorfully realistic manner.  The portrait reflects the refined tastes of the Chinese and serves as a symbol of Imperial pomp and prosperity. 

Although not designed as a comprehensive survey, the exhibition provides a sweeping overview of dynastic art through the centuries, as it explores underlying themes of transformation, innovation, and the technological advances made in various mediums at different periods in Chinese history.

Embracing the traditional with the inventive, the Tucson Museum of Art presents original and traveling exhibitions with a focus on Art of the American West, Latin American Art, and Modern and Contemporary Art, and boasts a permanent collection of more than 8,000 works. The Historic Block features five distinctive houses built between 1850 and 1907 that provide a unique look into Tucson’s past. The Museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm. The first Sunday of each month is free. It is located at 140 North Main Avenue in historic downtown Tucson. Visit : www.TucsonMuseumofArt.org