Technology does the trick
- Source: Global Times
- [08:31 December 23 2010]
- Comments
Princess Chui's crown. Photo: Guo Yingguang
By Wu Ziru
Gazing upon the beauty of an ancient piece of bronze or an item of exquisitely crafted silverware from a thousand years ago, one can hardly imagine how rusty or even barely-recognizable they were when excavated.
Go to the Capital Museum in Beijing, and there you can find the answers to questions of restoration and conservation. On view at the museum is a large exhibition of beautiful ancient articles that were rarely ever displayed before for the public. And this exhibition, also for the first time, unveils the technological innovations applied for restoration of excavated artifacts, revealing how an old piece of work was brought back to splendorous life again.
Different from the usual ones that focus on the history and art of the exhibits alone, this exhibition aims at presenting the fascinating stories behind the excavation of these articles, recording the unearthing process through such media as photos and text.
Visitors can also see the unearthing process through several videos being played non-stop at the exhibition.
"Through the exhibition we hope ordinary people can get an intimate understanding of archeology, which was once boring and alien to them," said Shan Jixiang, director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, which organized the exhibition.
