INTRODUCTION

The Origins of Chinese Civilization is like the morning mist rising from the Yellow River at the first light of day bringing greater clarity to the things which we now can see and gives a more complete understanding to the history of the past.  Recent discoveries along the banks of the Yellow River have added important information to our understanding into the origins of Chinese civilization.  Historians agree that the birthplace of Chinese civilization was in what is today Henan Province.  The current thinking is that Chinese civilization began there some 5,000 years ago. Recent archaeological finds aided by Carbon 14 dating now can prove that the dates for the beginning of Chinese civilization are at least 9,000 years old.  This makes Chinese civilization the oldest continuous civilization on earth. 

The Yellow River gave the early inhabitants of that rich river valley the ability to sustain a vibrant agricultural way of life.  Having the necessary foodstuff to insure their lifestyle made it possible for these early tribes known as the YI and HUANG to develop music and produce cookware and tools.  The discovery in 1999 of the Jiahu flute in a tomb in Henan Province has brought new attention to this very ancient and sophisticated civilization.  As a result of the rich abundance of grain and other foodstuffs, these early peoples were free to develop music and dance, writing and tools of considerable sophistication.

Henan Province served as the capitol of the early Imperial Dynasties from the earliest days of the Xia Dynasty which became the first national power in China, and for the next 1600 years or more this province led the development of Chinese Art and cultural and the political life of China.  From the Shang and for another 20 dynasties or ruling powers thereafter, Henan was the center of Chinese dynastic rule. These dynasties are responsible for the early bronzes, ceramics, glass, jade carvings, and figurines using the three Sancai glaze works of the Tang Dynasty. They produced works in stone, gold, and precious stones in objects for Imperial use.

In addition Henan was the first Province in China to experience the rise of Buddhism, and here it took root and produced some of the most magnificent objects of sculpture that is of incredible beauty and religious importance.  No exhibition of Chinese art which seeks to explain the origins of Chinese civilization can exclude works from the museums of Henan Province which are the richest repository of early Chinese cultural treasures in China.  This exhibition seeks to guide visitors through Chinese history with the aid of objects from archaeological digs, thousands of tomb sites, museum collections and works that have been collected to demonstrate the remarkable craftsmanship and artistic skill of these early Chinese artists.

Dr. Bill R. Booth, A.B., M.A., Ed.S., Ph,.D., Professor Emeritus

Guest Curator

“Origins of Chinese Civilization” The Treasures of Henan

PROSPECTUS:

The Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage seeks to exhibit this collection to demonstrate that as the birthplace of Chinese Civilization these objects can help to tell the story of the Origins of Chinese Civilization.

The objects are all three dimensional and are grouped into three major categories, The Dawn of Civilization where objects from the earliest archaeological sites were brought to show how the early tribes of Henan Province became an agrarian society.

The second part of the exhibition will deal with the Birth of an Empire, where the more than twenty Emperors ruled Henan Province and much of the rest of China.  Here we will show the very finest examples of the Zhou, Han, Tang, Song, and Ming Dynasties’ art objects that display the unique talents of the early Chinese artisans.  The carving in stone, jade, and the objects cast in bronze, gold and silver to represent the intense Buddhism that entered, and China in Henan Province will be included here.

The third and final part of the exhibition will be The Glory of the Dynasties where we will showcase the most beautiful objects from the major dynasties that produced the finest works in all mediums for the Imperial Courts of China. 

Not only is this exhibition designed to demonstrate the age of Chinese culture, but it is also to show the evolution of the various design elements to be found in Chinese Art.  As a teaching tool this exhibition offers many potential opportunities to explore the range, depth and importance of various stages of Chinese Civilization.

Label Copy will be provided in attachments both in Chinese and English.  These labels will show dynasties, dates, dimensions, as well as locations and will be accompanied by a slide presentation to be found at a website which is still be completed and can be accessed at: expoers.com .

The rental fee will be an all inclusive fee except for insurance on the collection presently valued at 100 million dollars and shipping costs for the anticipated weight estimated at 20 tons.   Any catalogs and/or gift shop items which we may supply are additional. The reason that we do not have an exact value and weight is that we are negotiating for some additional works for this exhibition.  The rental fee will be for a period of not less than three months and not more than four months. 

The rental fee will include all other costs such as packing, crating, the cost of the delegation coming for the opening ceremony, staff that will be sent to assist with the condition reports and with the unpacking, their per diem, housing, transportation, etc. as well as there will be no percentage of gate nor of sales from the gift shop.  The rental fee will be negotiated with each museum based upon what additional time they may wish above the three months and any other services which they may wish for us to provide. 

The exhibition will be available from mid-year 2008 through the end of 2010.  We are hoping to have at least three venues in the US and one in Canada where none are close to each other geographically.  We are in the process of negotiating with a number of institutions, and will provide the final list of venues upon the completion of this process.

Conservation and security are of extreme importance to use given the rarity of some of the early objects and the overall value of the collection.  We would expect that there will be the normal security that you employ for your own collection plus having docents and/or guards on duty during the exhibition.  I would suggest that you inform local police and state troopers of the exhibition and ask that they make routine sweeps of the outside of the museum if they do not already do this.  We do not want to provoke an international incident due to the theft or loss of a national treasure from China.  Conservation will be allowed by your own people in the event that there needs to be some small repair made to any object damaged in shipping.  A claim for those services should be filled with the insurance company that you may choose to use if it is different from the National Indemnities Act coverage.  We will ask that a representative travel to Henan Province to do a condition report on all objects prior to their being sealed into their crates for shipping and also to do a similar report upon their arrival at your museum.  If you are not the first exhibitor in the USA then you can send a Registrar to the museum where the show is being prepared for packing, and they will sign off on all objects as will your representative. The Chinese will also send a Registrar to confirm that all works arrive in the condition noted when they were crated.

The exhibition is being assembled by the Henan Provincial Administration of Cultural Heritage and will be distributed by the American Chinese Cultural Exchange Center in Los Angeles, CA.  All negotiations for the exhibition will be conducted on behalf of these organizations by Dr. Bill R. Booth, Guest Curator who has been authorized by the above named organizations to arrange the contracts for the exhibition tour of these works in American and Canadian Museums.