Feature: Senior American curators visit Yinxu for inter-museum collaboration

Chase Robinson, the director of the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, visits an archaeological site of royal tombs of Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.-1046 B.C.) in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, May 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Yuan Yueming)

ZHENGZHOU, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Nestled beside the tranquil Huan River in Anyang of central China's Henan stands the new hall of the Yinxu Museum, a striking structure in the shape of a bronze square ding. Its exterior walls are adorned with classic Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.-1046 B.C.) bronze decorations, and the lintels above its three main doors feature the characters "Da Yi Shang" in bronze.

Anyang, the last capital of Shang, China's second dynasty, has been a focal point of archaeological significance since work began at the Yin Ruins in 1928. The site has yielded a wealth of exquisite bronzes, oracle bone inscriptions, and other cultural relics that highlight Chinese civilization's enduring charm and grandeur.

"The characters stand for the Great Settlement of Shang. At that time, this was the most populous and prosperous city in China, proudly referred to by the Shang people by this name," Tang Jigen, one of China's most senior archeologists on Shang, explained the meaning of "Da Yi Shang" derived from oracle bone inscriptions to three visiting American scholars on Friday.

The Director of the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, Chase Robinson, Deputy Director Lori Duggan Gold, and Curator of Ancient Chinese Art, Keith Wilson, traveled to this ancient city for inter-museum exchanges. In a single day, they explored the museum, visited archaeological sites of Shang's largest palace ruins discovered so far and royal tombs, and held in-depth discussions with their Chinese counterparts. As the sun set, they found it difficult to leave, moved by the deep cultural connections they had forged.

America's National Museum of Asian Art consists of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and is part of the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum complex in the world. The Freer Gallery of Art, founded in 1923, is the Smithsonian's first art museum and sponsored China's early work of the Yin Ruins archaeological excavation that began in 1928. In February 2023, to commemorate the centennial of the Freer Gallery, the National Museum of Asian Art held a special exhibition titled "Anyang: China's Ancient City of Kings," which displayed over 200 artifacts from Shang. The exhibition continued until April 28, 2024.

"The exhibition was one of three major exhibitions that we mounted for our centennial. It's the only one that was up for 13 months. It occupied the main exhibition space in our museum. It was very popular, not only with the public but also with critics and museum professionals." Robinson added that it narrated a story of Shang civilization, technology, industry, city planning, archaeology, and collaboration.

The exhibition's popularity in the US also inspired Chinese archaeology and cultural heritage scholars to bring the exhibition closer to Chinese audiences in Anyang by displaying several photos during the planning of the new hall of the Yinxu Museum.

The American scholars were delightfully surprised by the design of their Chinese counterparts in exchanges and mutual learning.

“Worldwide, we work together. It's very exciting for us to be featured right here.” Gold said her museum regards exchanges in arts as a big responsibility and takes very seriously how to share works and form partnerships and collaborations with the world.

"Seeing your exhibition was a stunning experience. Having more people see the Yin Ruins and sharing the discoveries with a broader audience is our shared mission," Zhao Qingrong, Executive Deputy Director of the Yinxu Museum, told Gold.

"Over a century, the museum has been committed to the understanding of ancient Chinese civilization." Robinson expressed his wish to continue this tradition and carry out joint exhibitions, research projects, and staff exchanges.

In 1977, Wilson visited China for the first time while attending college. Experiencing China's history and culture in person strengthened his determination to study it. Today, he has become a revered Sinologist in the US. He believes that Shang's most notable contribution to world civilization was the technology to produce bronzes, jades, and ceramics of "incredible beauty and technical complexity."

Wilson refers to his visit to Anyang as "coming home." During his first visit to Anyang in the 1990s, he made a good friend with Tang.

This visit showed not only friendship but also the power of the international attraction of the Anyang studies, Wilson said.

"The symbolism of having the Anyang exhibition at the time of our centennial was also very rich," said Wilson, adding that the centennial was a moment to look forward and to identify goals important for the next century.

Reflecting on his experiences since joining the National Museum of Asian Art in 2006, Wilson mentioned that he has curated exhibitions on Xiangtangshan Grottoes, Houma Bronzes, and ancient Chinese music. He looks forward to continuing to introduce the American audiences to important moments in Chinese cultural history.

Digital products at the Yinxu Museum, such as 3D artifact short films and immersive digital exhibitions, left a deep impression on the American scholars.

"Many museums around the world hold artifacts from the Yin Ruins. We could bring together artifacts collected in different places in the form of the digital return of Yin Ruins artifacts," said Niu Shishan, a senior archeologist on Shang's royal tombs.

Li Xiaoyang, Director of the Anyang Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, proposed various collaborative efforts, such as exchanging information on cultural relics, sharing digital projects, and co-producing documentaries.

In response, Robinson said that these proposals are attractive, and research projects, collaborations, and exchanges can be outlined through a memorandum of understanding. Archives concerning the archeological projects of the Yin Ruins, housed at Freer, can also be made available.

Gold congratulated her Chinese counterparts "on the beauty of the building and the excellent interpretation for the visitor in the gallery."

She added, "I took many photographs today of how you designed the spaces to share knowledge with the audience."

"You have an extraordinary facility, an extraordinary collection, and a wonderful story to tell," said Robinson.

As Robinson concluded his first visit to the Chinese mainland, he reflected on the importance of building trust and exploring possibilities together: "I'm very pleased that we've gotten such a good start."

"What most impressed us was the great expertise that's gone into the creation of this museum. Second, there is great expertise on the part of the archaeologists working on the site," Robinson told Xinhua.

May 18 marks International Museum Day, with this year's theme being " Museums for Education and Research." Robinson said America's National Museum of Asian Art owns a digital platform, "Teaching China," devoted to middle school kids and teachers.

"It's been immensely successful. And my point is that there is a real appetite on the part of Americans to understand Chinese culture, history, and Chinese civilization," he said.

"Expertise and knowledge are the foundation for great museums. It's the foundation with great archeology, and you have a very strong foundation," Robinson said.

Tang Jigen, one of China's most senior archeologists on Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.-1046 B.C.), introduces Simuxin Ding, an ancient bronze vessel, to Chase Robinson, the director of the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States, at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, central China's Henan Province, May 17, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhai Xiang)