Buried treasures, only recently unearthed, abound in 'Royal Taste' exhibit of Ming Dynasty China objects

Objects buried for hundreds of years in China, and only unearthed in 2001, are in the United States for what might be a once-in-a-lifetime visit.

Just 15 years ago, archeologists found and began to excavate the royal tombs of Prince Zhuang of Liang Kingdom, Prince Jing of Ying Kingdom and the Princes of Jing Kingdom, all from China’s Hubei region. The Ming Dynasty-era (1368-1644) princes had been sent by their father, the emperor, out from Beijing to live in and oversee the principalities.

Until 2001, little had been known about the particulars of the lives of the princes in their new homes away from the royal court.

Once discovered, their tombs were found to be filled with a wide assortment of objects, many made of gold, silver and jade, which gave scholars the pieces they needed to understand the routines of the princes and their courts, as well as information about their daily lives and religious practices. These items will be on view in “Royal Taste: The Art of Princely Courts in 15th-Century China” at the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena Feb. 26 through June 26.

“The Ming Dynasty culture and art has been well- researched by scholars already, but the research areas mainly focused on the elite class around the capital city, which was Beijing,” said Yeonsoo Chee, assistant curator of the USC Pacific Asia Museum. “We now have a clearer picture how the princes lived, what they wore, what they enjoyed in their lifestyles, so it is not just a beautiful object that we showcase, but also a discovery, a very important exhibition that features the very lesser-known aspects of the Ming princes’ lifestyle.”

Obtaining the exhibit

Chee credits museum director Christina Yu Yu for obtaining the show from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, which organized the exhibit in collaboration with the Hubei Provincial Museum in Wuhan, China.

“u2009‘Royal Taste’ is a new chapter for USC PAM that will present world-class masterpieces in Southe Califoia, as well as the begiing of collaborations with inteationally renowned museums and cultural institutions,” Yu Yu said. “I welcome visitors to begin this jouey with us.”

‘Royal Taste’ a big show

“Royal Taste” boasts more than 150 objects, including paintings by Chinese masters, sculpture, porcelain and textiles. And most of the pieces are on display in the United States for the first time.

“This is one of the biggest exhibitions that Asia has mounted in recent history. Most of the objects are gold, silver and jade, so they are really beautiful and the craftsmanship is superb,” Chee said.

There will also be Daoist ritual objects, religious vessels and imperially commissioned statues from the Daoist temples of Mount Wudang. Additionally, USC PAM will display objects from its own collection along with some on loan from a private collector.

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Two revealing ewers

Two of the most interesting pieces are spouted ewers, or jugs, one gold and one silver.

When the Hongwu Emperor came to power and launched the Ming Dynasty in 1368, he created laws about what the various classes of people were allowed to use and wear. A gold ewer could only be used by a small fraction of the ruling class, including the emperor and select princes. Prince Liang lived in Beijing until he was sent to the Hubei region and took the gold ewer with him.

The silver ewer is almost identical to Prince Liang’s. It was used by his wife, who was not of the same social status. Her class allowed her to have a similarly shaped vessel, but it could not be made of gold.

“It was to show that they are abiding the laws,” Chee said. “How interesting it is that the couple were buried, one with the gold and the other with the silver, showing their respect to the imperial rule, but also they have those vessels to enjoy. We caot say for sure how much the rules were strictly enforced, but with objects like this we know that they were actually following the rules even though they were 100 miles away from the capital city.”

The ewers are among Chee’s favorite objects in “Royal Taste,” not only for their beauty, but for the information they provide about the past.

Chee also likes the sculptures from Mount Wudang.

“One of the statues is a general; he is standing on top of a turtle,” Chee said. “It’s really beautiful, but also the craftsmanship is really spectacular.”

The bronze piece is of the warrior deity Zhenwu, who the Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402-1424) considered as his guardian.

“This is a really rare opportunity,” Chee said. “These objects were excavated in 2001, and this is one of the recent archeological findings. This is the first time these objects are traveling to the United States, and this might be the only time (museum visitors) might be able to see these objects, so this is a lifetime opportunity.”

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