Editor's note:
To engrave historical memory and continue the Chinese cultural context, a museum is a big school. During the two sessions of the National People's Congress this year, when General Secretary Xi Jinping participated in the deliberations of the Jiangsu delegation, he praised "Nanjing's museums are still very attractive", and exhorted the majority of cultural relics workers: "We must do a good job in the museum cause." The construction of museums should be more complete and systematic, and at the same time, the educational function of museums should be brought into full play. In order to implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speech at the National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, further promote the high-quality development of Jiangsu museums, and provide an effective display platform for the precious exhibits and high-quality exhibition activities of major museums, from now on, Jiangnan Times will launch a series of reports on "Museums Have Highlights", starting from the precious collections of major museums in Jiangsu, exploring the stories behind cultural relics, and presenting the wonderful "looks" of major museums in Jiangsu for the majority of readers.
"The jade mangfeng kills skillfully, and the branches of the mountain are twisted and divided. The old man sitting with his back against the tail of the chauffeur, his head tied up with his hair tied up, and his expression was pleasant, as if he was in the middle of the heavenly river...... Walking into the exhibition hall of the Wu Culture Museum, a silver cup with superb craftsmanship attracts the attention of visitors. The eight-character inscription engraved on the body of the cup "made by Zhu Bishan" tells its extraordinary history.
A related work created by artist Chen Xuan
Zhu Bishan, a famous silver casting craftsman in the Yuan Dynasty, a native of Jiaxing, Zhejiang, has lived in Mudu in Suzhou for a long time, and is famous for making chacha cups. Wang Shizhen of the Qing Dynasty recorded in the "Xiangzu Notes": "The silver chariot made by the Yuan people is the most ancient, and there is a text in the abdomen that says to be Zheng Renyin, and Wumen Zhuhua Yufu system." Huayu Bishan. At that time, the fine silverware from his hands was highly sought after by celebrities.
Spanning nearly 700 years of time and space, there are only four silver cups carrying Zhu Bishan's ingenuity in the world, which are respectively collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing, the "Palace Museum" in Taipei, the Wu Culture Museum, and the Cleveland Museum in the United States. Among them, the silver cup treasured by the Wu Culture Museum came from the tomb of Han Kun, a native of Suzhou, during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and was assessed as a national first-class cultural relic in 1994, which is a well-deserved treasure of the town hall.
Echoing the Milky Way, the world and the sky are many. The reporter learned from the Wu Culture Museum that the inspiration for the creation of the silver cup came from the floating allusions recorded in historical classics such as Zhang Hua's "Naturalist Chronicles" in the Jin Dynasty: the legend that the end of the sea is connected to the Tianhe. Every August, between the boundary between the sky and the sea, there will be bamboo rafts (cha) floating from the sea, one phase and one meeting, never miss the appointment. In this work, Zhu Bishan uses a variety of techniques such as engraving and welding, combined with multiple crafts such as round carving and relief carving, to express elements such as the elderly, Changcha, and clouds in a layered and complementary manner, which not only brings a strong visual artistic appeal, but also shows the imagination of Chinese craftsmen.
Pictures of the performance of "The Quest".
As an important carrier of condensing history, culture and national memory, today's cultural relics are "waking up from their slumber". Let the cultural relics be seen, heard, and even tasted and played, and the "secondary creation" derived from them is pregnant with countless possibilities and contains powerful cultural power.
In recent years, the Wu Culture Museum has innovated and created cultural IP based on national treasures: "Chacha Journey" sung by the museum staff with original lyrics, singing the romantic encounter between heaven and earth; Contemporary visual elements such as color spray painting depict the silver chariot cup, making the old man who sails to the Milky Way a "hipster"...... "After re-creation and close reading, the character of the old man on the star chariot is more complete, and the silver chariot cup and the story behind it are more memorable." There are too many masterpieces hidden in museums in China, and the re-creation of animation will inject new vitality into cultural relics, and cultural relics will also bring new value and depth to animation. Royle, a participant in the event and founder of the art talk show, said.
Cultural relics have precipitated history for thousands of years, and drama interprets life. In 2022, the Wu Culture Museum Interpretation Society will create the first original theatrical work "The Legend of Chacha" based on the Yincha Cup, and "re-imagine" the national treasures. This play sets up two characters, Zhu Bishan and the scholar, hoping to show people's perseverance, struggle and reconciliation in the process of pursuing ideals and realizing the meaning of life, as well as the reasonable imagination of the superb skills and creative inspiration of Wudi craftsmen. Li Shuang, the publicity director of the Wu Culture Museum, said that the members of the Interpretation Club are basically cultural lovers from all walks of life. From creation, choreography to performance, they participated in and repeatedly polished every aspect of "Searching for Chau", unleashing their creativity and imagination to present the superb skills and excellent traditional culture of Chinese craftsmen with artistic creation.
A museum is a big school. In recent years, the Wu Culture Museum has continuously deepened its cooperation with schools, so that the museum's high-quality cultural content can effectively interact with the school's classroom content, and jointly build a cultural soil for young people's growth. In September 2022, under the communication and planning of the museum and the school for many times, the Lingbo Drama Club of Suzhou Bibo Middle School based on the script of "The Legend of Chacha", integrated more educational elements into the story performed by the Wu Culture Museum, and adjusted the lines to a version more suitable for students.
On April 2 last year, the Interpretation Club of Wu Culture Museum and the Lingbo Drama Club of Bibo Middle School jointly performed "The Legend of Chacha" for the first time in the museum, attracting more than 500 spectators to sign up to watch. Adults and young actors join hands to bring the charm of national treasures to life with wonderful performances. "In the future, we also look forward to cooperating with more schools, so that culture and art can be rooted in the hearts of more children, and use museum interpretations to build a new connection between museum education and school education." The relevant person in charge of the Wu Culture Museum said.
Jiangnan Times reporter Ji Chuantao
Courtesy of the Wu Culture Museum