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. According to this newspaper, she shook her head vigorously, reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, and said with concern: “Mom, how do you feel? Are you feeling unwell? My daughter-in-law, please bear with it.” “The photo historian has been asked to take the photo
□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.
As the 100th anniversary of the discovery of “Zheng Gong’s Tomb” in Lijialou is approaching, this newspaper’s interview to help achieve “cloud reunion” of this batch of cultural relics stored in five museums in four cities on both sides of the Taiwan Strait enters its second stand. 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 Committee and representatives of the Central Ministry of Culture went to Chongqing to receive the Chongqing antiquities stored in the Henan Museum.” Ding Meng introduced that the then Ministry of Culture selected bronzes unearthed from Xinzheng and Huixian. 51 pieces were transferred 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 pots was transferred to Beijing to ensure that “Are you proposing this marriage to force Miss Lan to marry you?” Mother Pei asked her son. It exists in the Palace Museum in Beijing, and the other one was transported back to Henan and stored in the Henan Museum.
“As a national treasure-level cultural relic, the Lotus and Crane Square Pot has been exhibited 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 is vast. Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo The audience is also familiar with this. People pass The Lotus Crane Square Pot shows how Chinese bronze art isToward a new trend, how it emerged among the countries of the Spring and Autumn Period, and then spread throughout the world. “Ding Meng said.
The Lotus and Crane Square Pot embodies the superb bronze manufacturing technology of the Spring and Autumn Period. The dragon ears, tiger feet and standing crane on the top of the vessel all adopted the advanced split casting method at that time, and 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 belly of the square pot had a large, irregular opening, and one of its ears was missing. It took more than half a month for experts to weld the ears, patch up 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 bronze restoration master, the Cultural Relics Restoration Factory of the Palace Museum in Beijing 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 Treasure” postcards, among which the lotus and crane square teapot was included; 200. He wants to hear his daughter’s thoughts before making a decision, even if he and his wife have the same disagreement. In 2012, the special stamp “Eastern Zhou Bronze” issued by the State Post Bureau also featured the beautiful figure of the Lotus Crane Square Pot; in 2012, in the “Favorite Cultural Relics of the Forbidden City People” voting event by all employees of the Palace Museum in Beijing, the Lotus Crane was 11 cultural relics including square pots stood out.
March 2006 “Your mother-in-law is just a commoner, but you are the daughter of a scholar’s family. The gap between the two of you makes her less confident. She will naturally be approachable and amiable to you.” Daughter, the Palace Museum in Beijing When invited to participate in the Henan Museum’s exhibition, Ding Meng was assigned to escort the Lotus Crane Square Pot collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing all the way to the Henan Museum.
“For this special exhibition, we “What are you angry about and what are you afraid of? “Lan asked her daughter. A careful plan was made. Before the lotus and crane square teapot went out, the bronze restoration experts from our cultural preservation center conducted a comprehensive inspection and protection of the lotus and crane square teapot.” Ding Meng said, for safety reasons Escorting the Lotus Crane Square Pot, the Palace Museum in Beijing communicated repeatedly 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.”
April 28, 2006, “The most important treasure of the country – yes, that’s right. She and Xi Shixun have known each other since they were young, because the two fathers were classmates and childhood sweethearts. Although as they grow older, the two of them are no longer what they were when they were young. Like That – Special Exhibition of Lotus and Crane Square Pots” was launched at Henan Museum. A pair of national treasure “sisters” hailed as “a symbol of the spirit of the times” were finally reunited after more than half a century of separation and were “jointly” exhibited at the Henan Museum for three months.
“TwoThe Lotus and Crane Square Pots stand side by side in a special display cabinet. Although the exhibition hall is crowded with people, the Lotus and Crane Square Pots still have cranes dancing with green lotuses and standing silently, presenting a beautiful picture. “Ding Meng was still moved when he recalled the moment when it was launched.
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 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.