Orientations June 2005

Table Of Contents

Issue devoted to the reopening of the Musee CERNUSCHI, Paris

THE RESURRECTION OF THE MUSEE CERNUSCHI
by Gilles Beguin

HORSES AND GROOMS: NEW PERSPECTIVES
by Gilles Beguin, Director of the Musee Cernuschi and Sylvie Colinart and
Elisabeth Ravaud, research engineers at the Research and Restoration
Centre of the French Museum. An article discussing how this painting came
to the museum and the questions raised concerning its attribution to the
Tang dynasty painter Han Gan together with a scientific analysis
following its laboratory examination.

REMARKS ABOUT SOME EMBLEMS ON SHANG AND WESTERN ZHOU BRONZES
by Olivier Venture.
The archaic Chinese bronzes, acquired by Enrico Cernuschi in the late
19th century, are one of the strengths of the museum. The author has
elected to discuss the less famous examples in order to address questions
relating to signs in short inscriptions and to bronze styles so as to
shed more light on places of production and circulation of these precious
objects.

LIAO COLLECTIONS IN THE MUSEE CERNUSCHI
by Helene Chollet.
Until 2001, the collection at the museum had been limited to a few
earthenware funerary objects but, through support from patrons to the
museum, the greatly expanded holdings now include a wealth of Liao period
metalwork. The author's account of gold and silver masks, headdresses,
necklaces and earrings and Buddhist liturgical instruments gives an
insight into the important role played by non-Han cultures in Chinese
history.

SOME REDISCOVERED KOFUN PERIOD BRONZE MIRRORS IN THE COLLECTION OF ENRICO
CERNUSCHI
by Michel Maucuer, Chief Curator, Japanese Department, Musee Cernuschi.
The Chinese and Japanese bronze mirrors acquired by Enrico Cernuschi in
Japan were regarded with suspicion and not displayed. Based on
developments in Japanese archaeology, the author has been able to
reevaluate some of the bronzes in the collection and discusses how six
examples, previously considered to be Chinese, have been reattributed to
the early and middle Kofun period.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF ENRICO CERNUSCHI, FOUNDER OF THE CERNUSCHI MUSEUM
by Michel Maucuer, Chief Curator, Japanese Department, Musee Cernuschi.

INTERVIEW WITH GUY ULLENS.
Belgium collector Guy Ullens discusses his interests in Chinese art and
his support of the Cernuschi Museum.

HONG KONG'S MARITIME MUSEUM.
To celebrate the opening of this museum on 26 May, Orientations discusses
its conception with Anthony Hardy.

BOOK REVIEW
by Wang Tao: New Perspectives on China Past: Twentieth Century Chinese
Archaeology, ed and principal author Yang Xiaoneng

REVIEW OF CHRISTIE'S AND SOTHEBY'S AUCTIONS IN NEW YORK AND SOTHEBY'S
AUCTIONS IN HONG KONG

COMMENTARY: FRANK GEHRY'S MUSEUM COMPLEX FOR HONG KONG?
Valerie Doran surveys the Hong Kong community's response to Frank Gehry's
proposal.

Transmitted by Philippe Horovitz
orientations.parisieseurope.com
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