Filed in Dunhuang
A lot of people will think of it
Desert Smoke, Nine-Colored Sacred Deer, Bodhisattva Buddha
Then do you know those
How are murals and Buddha sculptures made?
What is the story in the mural?
Let's join us on New Year's Day
Walk into the Shenzhen Museum
Unveil the mysteries of this thousand-year-old grotto
Exchange and mutual learning——
The Silk Road Art of the Dunhuang Grottoes and hexi Corridor
Exhibition hours
2021.12.31-2022.3.20
Opening hours
10:00-18:00
(Last admission at 17:30, closed on Mondays,
Open during major holidays,
Closed on the first day after important holidays)
Fixed-point explanation time
15：00
Door tickets
Free, reservation required
Address
Shenzhen Museum Of History and Folklore
The first thematic exhibition hall and the middle hall
*Funded by Shenzhen Municipal Special Fund for the Development of Publicity and Cultural Undertakings
【Millennium Dunhuang】
Dunhuang was one of the major towns of the overland Silk Road and once had a thriving trade event. From the 4th to the 14th century AD, after thousands of years of construction, Dunhuang Grottoes integrate architecture, murals and painted sculpture art, bringing together the brilliant and colorful civilization essence of ancient East and West, known as the "Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages" and "The Treasure House of World Art", and is the location of the Mogao Grottoes, a world cultural heritage.
According to statistics, there are 492 existing caves in Dunhuang Grottoes, more than 45,000 square meters of murals, 2,415 painted statues, more than 4,000 flying statues, solemn Buddha statues, colorful colors, thousands of years of historical changes and artistic accumulation, creating a gorgeous cultural treasure for the world.
【Four Grottoes】
In the center of the museum hall, there are four representative caves with the height of the art of the times copied in the original proportions, namely Cave 285 (Western Wei), Cave 220 (Early Tang), Cave 320 and Cave 45 (Sheng Tang), with a single size of 6, a length of 10 and a width of 8 meters, displaying Dunhuang's grotto art through the form of reproduction of painted sculptures and imitation murals, so that the audience can "immerse themselves" in the creativity of Chinese civilization and the aesthetics of the times.
Most of the painted sculptures in the Mogao Caves were destroyed and rebuilt, so a large number of painted sculptures lost their original charm. However, Cave 45 of Mogao Grottoes, which is one of the representative caves of the Tang Dynasty of Mogao Grottoes, because the entrance and Yongdao of the cave have been buried by quicksand for a long time, the objects and murals in the cave are relatively intact, which is a precious historical image material for studying the secular life of the Tang Dynasty.
In addition, the release of the Jun reminds everyone that each grotto can only accommodate 4-5 people, please do not crowd when visiting.
【The process of making the grotto】
From the beginning to the completion of a cave, it is roughly necessary to go through a series of procedures such as renovating the cliff surface, digging the cave, building the temple, painting murals and statues, and decorating the eaves. In this exhibition, through the restoration of architectural components, 3D printed models to show the Dunhuang murals, painted plastic raw materials and various processes of the production process, so that everyone can more clearly and deeply understand the creation of Dunhuang grotto art.
The paint painted on the mural is made of natural ore as raw material, its color is pure and thick, with weather resistance, lightfastness, not afraid of acid and alkali corrosion and other characteristics, even if buried in the soil for many years, it will not affect its color brilliance.
Whether it is coral from the deep sea or crystals from the mountains, on this long Silk Road, with the camel bells arriving in Dunhuang, it transforms into colorful colors in the hands of painters and plastic craftsmen, giving birth to aesthetic tastes and artistic spirit with Chinese style.
【Exhibits】
The content of this exhibition is mainly divided into two categories: one is the large caves copied and copied by the Dunhuang Research Institute, as well as painted sculptures, murals, Dunhuang scriptures, etc., mainly showing the history of Dunhuang's development on the Silk Road, the construction of grottoes and the art of mural sculpture;
The first category is the essence of important cultural relics excavated along the Hexi Corridor between Dunhuang and Gansu, including 134 pieces (groups) of various cultural relics such as wooden Jane, Dunhuang scripture writing, wood carving, painted sculpture, silk products, gold and silverware, many of which are national treasure-level orphan cultural relics with little outreach. Comprehensively display the integration and achievements of Chinese and Western civilizations in Dunhuang and Hexi regions.
In addition, it is also expected that various important historical relics such as Han Dynasty bamboo jane, Central Asian currency, silk fabrics, gold and silverware, pottery figurines, Dunhuang scripture writings, Buddhist statues, Dunhuang mural copying works, etc., present the various forms of Silk Road art in the ancient Dunhuang and Hexi Corridors.
【The story in the mural】
Through the Buddhist statues, story paintings, sutra paintings, historical site paintings and ancient architectural furniture, costumes and makeup, music and dance patterns and living utensils in the grottoes, we can experience the lively and flexible life consciousness in them. After reading all the grottoes, it is like pressing the acceleration button on history, from the Northern Dynasty to the Song and Yuan Dynasties, spanning thousands of years, comprehensively reflecting the context of the development and transformation of ancient Chinese history.
Story painting is a common form of mural painting, in the lower right corner of the mural on display there will be a detailed story description, such as the corpse king cutting meat and trading pigeons, the prince of Safu shesheng feeding tigers and other story murals, and some of the murals are slightly vague due to historical reasons, just looking at the painting may not be fully understood, but when you understand the story behind the painting, you will be amazed that the painting techniques of the ancients are so exquisite.
【Mural art without blank space】】
On the exquisite murals of Dunhuang Grottoes, the pattern is an important part of dunhuang grotto art, at the top of the grotto, outside the painted plastic frame and the gap between paintings and paintings are often filled with some intricate, gorgeous patterns, exotic patterns, and Dunhuang's colorful murals are integrated.
They have unique forms, rich patterns, brilliant colors, clear inheritance relationships, and clear development veins. Most of these decorative motifs are rich in color, like a delicate link connecting grotto architecture, murals, and statues into a diverse organic whole.
The ancient Silk Road connected the birthplaces of multiple civilizations and spanned the settlements of different countries and nationalities. On this thoroughfare that runs through Eurasia, the influence of political exchanges, cultural integration, commercial trade, ethnic cohesion, and population migration is lasting and profound, and the intertwining has derived ideas, cultures, arts, customs, etc., which have become the common historical memory of major civilizations on Eurasia.
Grotto art contains reality and faith, both life and faith, gathering wisdom and piety, the ancients with faith as the guide, with gorgeous solemn but not dexterous and flowing brushstrokes, depicting the destination of the human spirit on the wall.
Ancient Chinese craftsmen poured their own life emotions and mental strength into it, not only making the utensils conform to the way of nature, but also showing the ingenuity of the craftsmanship. In the world of creation art, seeing the great beauty of heaven and earth and the vitality of all things, we feel the continuous and endless inheritance of generations.
The Dunhuang Grottoes witnessed the integration of Buddhism into China as a foreign culture and also recorded its great role in the social life of ancient China. It is a joint creative representation of the working people, artists and Buddhists on the Silk Roads. It is not only the mysterious world of Buddha, but also the human life that can be known and felt.
The Dunhuang Grottoes are the common result of the interplay of multi-ethnic cultures, and the murals and statues fully demonstrate the wisdom and exquisite skills of ancient craftsmen, enriching the aesthetic taste and artistic spirit of The Chinese style.
After experiencing this thousand-year-old grotto art
Are you amazed by its beauty?
The gods and Buddhas, the beautiful flying sky, the rebound pipa
This New Year's Day comes to the Shenzhen Museum
Enjoy the beauty of the millennium Dunhuang!