Cultural Relics from the Two Cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty on Show in Nanjing for the First Time

On the morning of October 9th, Series Activities of Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Unearthing the Two Cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty was kicked off by the exhibition of calligraphy and painting works of famous Southern Tang scholars. After that, Exhibition of Unearthed Relics from the Two Cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty and forum of commemorating the 60th anniversary would be held in succession.

Some valuable relics unearthed from the two cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty will be taken out of the storehouse of Nanjing Museum and be shown for the first time during the past 60 years.

October, 1950, the two cemeteries unearthed by Nanjing Museum in Zutang Hill, Jiangning is the first emperor s mausoleum found after the establishment of PRC. Although they have been robbed many times in the history, Nanjing Museum found more than 600 valuable relics such as pottery figurines, china, jade elegy, etc. These national treasure of the Southern Tang Dynasty were always kept in storehouse of Nanjing Museum. When preparing exhibition of relics unearthed from the two cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty, the organizer proposed to exhibit the relics unearthed then back in the cemeteries to let visitors understand the artistic value of the underground palace. Through negotiation, the museum agreed to exhibit some relics back at home .

Vice-chief of Nanjing Museum, Huang Lumin expressed that the exhibition of unearthed relics from the 2 cemeteries of the Southern Tang Dynasty will be held in early December. Display items are being selected. Not all of the 600 relics would be exhibited, but good ones will be on show. A batch of pottery figurines will be exhibited. There are various types of images, including concubines, royal servants, ladies-in-waiting, performers and human face fish body figurine from myths. All of them can represent top pottery process of that dynasty. Jade elegy, the key relic that helped us to know the tomb owners is also likely to be shown back at home .