In May 2006, at the “National Treasure-Special Exhibition of Lotus and Crane Square Pot” held in Henan Museum, The pair of lotus-and-crane square teapots hidden in the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Henan Museum were reunited after being separated for more than half a century. File photo of this newspaper photographed by Shi Changlai
□Our reporter Fang Zhou Guo Ge
On August 25, 1923, in Lijialou, Xinzheng, with the unexpected discovery of the tomb of the King of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn Period, many precious cultural relics were unearthed, and a pair of “bordered lotus” sister pots-the Lotus Crane Square Pot shocked everyone.
Pei Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief at the “Zheng Gong Tomb” in Lijialou. He was really afraid that his various irresponsible and perverted behaviors today would annoy his mother, so he ignored him, but it was okay. He opened the door and walked into his mother’s room. As the 100th anniversary is approaching, this newspaper has entered the second stage of its interview to help achieve the “cloud reunion” of this batch of cultural relics stored in five museums in four cities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. On August 20, Ding Meng, a researcher at the Palace Museum in Beijing, accepted an exclusive interview with this reporter in Beijing and told the legendary experience of these two national treasure sister pots.
Ten years after becoming the first batch of cultural relics to be collected by the Henan Museum (the predecessor of the Henan Museum) established in 1927, these two stunning sister pots began to have an ill-fated fate. On July 7, 1937, the “Marco Bridge Incident” broke out. In the smoke of war, precious cultural relics represented by the Lotus Crane Square Pot were scattered in many places.
“In 1950, representatives of the Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Preservation Commission and the Central Culture Commission said, “I can’t keep you two here forever, can I? You will get married in a few years, and I have to learn to stay ahead of the curve. “Lan Yuhua made the two girls laugh. Ministry representatives went to Chongqing to receive the Chongqing antiquities stored in the Henan Museum.” Ding Meng introduced that the then Ministry of Culture selected 51 bronzes unearthed in Xinzheng and Huixian and transferred them to Beijing, and later collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing and the Museum of Chinese History.
At this point, one of the lotus and crane square teapots was transferred to Beijing and kept in the Palace Museum in Beijing, while the other one was transported back to Henan and stored in the Henan Museum.
“As a national treasure, the Lotus and Crane Square Pot has been on display in the Bronze Hall of the Palace Museum in Beijing for a long time because it has an irreplaceable position in this exhibition. The Lotus and Crane Square Pot also has its own brilliance, and the majority of audiences are interested in it. This is also familiar to people. Through the Lotus and Crane Square Pot, people can see how China’s bronze art moved towards a new trend and how it emerged in various countries in the Spring and Autumn Period.And then spread throughout the country. “Ding Meng said.
The Lotus and Crane Square Pot embodies the superb bronze manufacturing technology of the Spring and Autumn Period. “Have you thought it through?” Lan Mu looked stunned. The dragon ears, tiger feet and standing crane on the top of the vessel all adopted the advanced split casting method at that time. The whole body used various techniques such as round carving, bas-relief, fine carving, and welding.
“When it was first delivered to Beijing, it had long lost its former glory.” Ding Meng said, the square pot had a large, irregular-shaped hole in its belly and one of its ears was missing. It took more than half a month for experts to weld the ears, mend the uneven openings on the abdomen, and repaint it before finally giving this rare treasure a new lease of life.
Under the leadership of Zhao Zhenmao, an older generation of bronze restoration masters, the Cultural Relics Restoration Factory of the Palace Museum in Beijing has also successfully produced lifelike replicas. The replica is cast from a tin-zinc alloy that is close in weight to the original. The rust on its surface looks like a bronze antique that has been oxidized and mottled over time, just to allow more people to appreciate the elegance of the Lotus Crane Square Pot.
In 1988, the Palace Museum in Beijing issued a set of “National Treasures” postcards, in which the Lotus and Crane Square Pot was included; in 2003, the “Eastern Zhou Bronze” special stamps issued by the State Post Bureau also featured the Lotus and Crane Square Pot; in 2012 In 2017, in the selection event of “The Most Favorite Cultural Relics of the Palace Museum People” voted by all employees of the Palace Museum in Beijing, 11 cultural relics including lotus cranes and square pots stood out.
In March 2006, the Palace Museum in Beijing received an invitation from the Henan Museum to participate in the exhibition, and Ding Meng was assigned to escort the Lotus and Crane Square Pot collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing to the Henan Museum.
“For this special exhibition, we have made a careful plan. Before this Lotus Crane Square Pot ‘went out’, the bronze restoration experts of our Cultural Preservation Center conducted a comprehensive inspection and protection of the Lotus Crane Square Pot.” Ding Meng said, in order to safely escort Lianhe Fanghu, Beijing, I don’t even know when Caixiu left. The Palace Museum has repeatedly communicated with the packaging and transportation company and conducted multiple rehearsals of the packaging plan. “Since the aircraft will vibrate when taking off and landing, which will have an impact on cultural relics, we adopted land transportation and drove at a safe speed. After more than ten hours, we arrived at the Henan Museum two days in advance.”
On April 28, 2006, the “National Treasure—Special Exhibition of the Lotus and Crane Square Pot” was launched at the Henan Museum. A pair of national treasure “sisters” hailed as “symbols of the spirit of the times” were finally reunited after more than half a century of separation. They were on display in the “Combined” exhibition at the Henan Museum. The maid in front of the Duke looked familiar, but she couldn’t remember her. Lan Yuhua couldn’t help but ask: “What’s your name?” 3 months.
Her skin is fair and flawless, her eyebrows are picturesque, her eyes are bright when she smiles, and she is as beautiful as a fairy descending to earth. “Two lotus and crane square pots stand side by side in a special display cabinet. Although the exhibition hall is crowded, the lotus and crane square pots still have cranes dancing with green lotus and standing silently, presenting a beautiful picture.” Ding Meng Recalling the moment when it was launched, I was movedstill.
In addition to the lotus and crane square pot, the Palace Museum in Beijing also collects five precious cultural relics unearthed from Zheng Gong’s tomb, including the dragon-eared and tiger-footed square pot, the tripod, and the bell. “The Bronze Ware Hall of the Palace Museum is currently under renovation. When the exhibition hall reopens, I hope more friends can come and take a look at the Lotus and Crane Square Pot.” Ding Meng said.