Hong Kong Museum of Art

If you are a lover of art, archaeology, history or animation, or are just looking to escape the humidity and heat this summer, a trip to a museum can be a gratifying option. The Hong Kong Museum of Arts is presenting a number of exhibits this season. Among these are: the Ming and Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P. Lin Collection, Studio Ghibli Layout Designs: Understanding the Secrets of Takahata and Miyazaki Animation, and Historical Imprints of Lingnan: Major Archaeological Discoveries of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

Ming Qing Chinese Arts from the C.P. Lin Collection, (Showing 3 May – 28 September)

Hosted by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, and located in the Chinese Antiquities Garden, these pieces are generously on loan from the private collection of Mr. Peter C. P. Lin. Lin, who is a senior member of the Min Chiu Society, has been collecting Chinese antiquities and art for over 40 years. Hong Kong became a refuge for many collectors who fled the mainland with their precious antiques, following the Chinese Civil War; and so the city’s art museums have reaped the benefits of this. There are 270 artworks on display that had been made exclusively for the imperial court during the Ming and Qing dynasties. On hand are items of porcelain, ivory, jade and bamboo. The focus of the exhibition is on historical Chinese artistic pursuits, as well as the aesthetics of China’s rich traditions and cultures.

Studio Ghibli Layout Designs: Understanding the Secrets of Takahata and Miyazaki Animation, (Showing 14 May – 31 August)

The Hong Kong Jockey Club Series is sponsoring the exhibition that can be seen at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Founded in Tokyo in 1985, Studio Ghibli has declined to follow today’s trends of relying on digital technology, and prefers to create animation in the classical tradition of drawing by hand; and still it has been embraced by pop culture. The studio’s films appear in film festivals and have been honored with numerous awards. Most notably, its feature, Spirited Away earned an Oscar nomination in 2002, along with $274 million worldwide. The exhibit will have on display 1300 layout designs. A layout for an animation film is the equivalent to a blueprint. Their purposes are varied. Layouts illustrate the directors ideas, arrange colour, positions and movement, as well as ensure continuity in subsequent production. Among the layouts that will be on hand, some will be the popular films, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. The focus of the exhibit ultimately is to educate visitors in the production of animated films.

Historical Imprints of Lingnan: Major Archaeological Discoveries of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, (Showing 11 June – 1 September)

This exhibit, on display in the Special Exhibition Gallery in the Hong Kong Museum of History, focuses on the development of civilization in the Lingnan region from the Paleolithic Era to the time of the Ming Dynasty. The highlights of the exhibit include stone tools and ornaments excavated from a Neolithic site, as well as blue and white porcelain items from the Ming Dynasty. In conjunction with the exhibition will be an international conference to bring together experts and scholars to share their findings from Lingnan.

Each of these exhibits are only there for the summer season so don’t delay your visit. For more information visit the website of Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong at: www.lcsd.gov.hk

Jade dragon with gold hook
Western Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8)
Unearthed from the tomb of King Zhaomo of the Nanyue
Kingdom, Xianggang, Guangzhou
Collection of the Museum of the Western Han Dynasty
Mausoleum of the Nanyue King

Blue and white kraak dish with deer design
Late Ming dynasty (the second half of the 16th century to the mid-17th century)
Unearthed from St. Paul's College, Macao
Collection of Cultural Heritage Department of the Cultural
Affairs Bureau of Macao

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea /2008

Peony shaped rhinoceros horn cup carved with butterfly and bee
Qing dynasty (1644 – 1911)
C. P. Lin Collection

Jade covered chrysanthemum cup in Mughal style
Mark and period of Qianlong (1736 – 1795), Qing dynasty
C. P. Lin Collection