Ming Dynasty pottery figurines donated by friendly people in the United States were put into the Shanghai Museum and another batch of lost overseas cultural relics returned to China

Two Ming Dynasty pottery figurines returning to China this time (Courtesy of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage)

International online report (reporter Wang Huanxing) on the 13th, the State Administration of Cultural Heritage hosted a ceremony for the donation of cultural relics into Tibet, and Ms. Suzanne Fratus of California, USA donated two Ming Dynasty pottery figurines from China to the Shanghai Museum.

Ms. Susannah's grandfather, John Herbert Waiter, practiced medicine in China in the early 20th century, obtained two clay figurines, brought them back to the United States, and handed them over to Ms. Suzanne to inherit. In 1983, to celebrate the sistership between Shanghai and San Francisco, the Shanghai Museum held an exhibition at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. Ms. Suzanne found that a set of honor guard figurines exhibited on the exhibition was very similar to the pottery figurines in her collection. The person in charge of the Shanghai Museum told him that the pottery figurines should come from the tombs of Chinese stolen nobles. Ms. Suzanne has always loved ancient Chinese science and excellent traditional Chinese culture, and has admired the Chinese people, and for nearly 40 years, she has always looked forward to returning the cultural relics to the Chinese people in a suitable way.

At the ceremony of donating cultural relics to Tibet held on the 13th, Ms. Suzanne said that she admired China's beautiful cultural and artistic achievements and decided to return it to her homeland. The two figurines return, not through monetary or political means, but because of the power of love and respect for the Chinese people. "I'm excited to return these exquisite works of art to Chinese people."

Guan Qiang, deputy director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, said that since the Eighteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China, breakthroughs have been made in the recovery and return of lost cultural relics in China. This time, Ms. Suzanne, a resident of California, sent the pottery figurines back to her homeland, showing an admirable and noble character. "The return of the two cultural relics vividly shows the friendship of ordinary Americans for the Chinese people and the simple feelings of jointly protecting the cultural heritage of mankind." It is particularly precious and touching. The pottery figurines are displayed together with similar pottery figurines in the collection of the Shanghai Museum, highlighting the true value of the art contained in the return of cultural relics. ”

In addition, the Shanghai Museum also carefully prepared the "Thousands of Ritual Images - Special Exhibition of Ming Dynasty Colored Glazed Pottery Figurines", and exhibited the two donated pottery figurines together with the Ming Dynasty color glazed ceremony guards in the collection of the Museum in San Francisco that year, and then composed a good story. A total of 68 cultural relics were exhibited in the exhibition, and the exhibition opened on December 13 for one month.