At The Shanghai Museum

彩色陶镇墓兽。
唐，公元618－907年。

Stepping into the Shanghai Museum (上海博物馆) this time, I was a little stunned. It was way crowded. Didn't know if that had anything to do with the rain/sleet and the -2°C outside. The bulk of the visitors this morning comprised of domestic tourists, and just a handful of foreigners/expatriates.

I quite like wandering through this museum. Spacious, forgot if it's four or five-storeys high, it's not that well ventilated, but it's got a collection of pottery, ceramics, porcelain, bronze sculptures, gold and currency forms, calligraphy and landscape paintings that mark the 5000 years of history and traditions of Chinese art.

While I can appreciate the nothing-else-but mountains-and-lakes/rivers/streams ink brush paintings of renowned (and court-approved) landscape painter of the late Ming/early Qing Dynasty, Wang Shimin (王时敏) and his protégés, I confess that I'm rather bored by calligraphy. The theory parts weren't that bad, but I didn't like the brushstrokes I had to learn as a child and put in all those hours of practice. When it came to Chinese art, I rather paint than write. I didn't like the language enough (then) to understand the phrases I had to write over and over again. Unfortunately, till now, calligraphy has never appealed to me, and I can only appreciate the basics.

The one gallery that totally flew over my head is the Jade Gallery. All those pieces of jade. Delicately crafted by talented artisans, they still look like...stone to me. This is why I can never buy jade, and I'll never be willing to fork out money for jade, because I don't understand the properties of the stone nor its value, and least of all, its color. I'm not enamored with jade, and importantly, I don't feel anything for the stone, and it makes me feel rather annoyed and uncomfortable each time I wear any piece. Haizzzzz. It presents a little bit of a challenge because my grandparents left me pieces of jade, some utilitarian-looking and others, works of art. I don't know what to do with them beyond stuffing them into the safe deposit box and look at them about twice a year.

My favorite section is probably the porcelain and pottery. There's a gorgeous portion dedicated to Jing De Zhen wares (景德镇陶瓷). There were replicas of the different kilns used in the era, like the famous Dragon Kiln (龙窑), Mantou (馒头窑, bread/bun-shaped) Kiln and the Egg Kiln (蛋型窑, shaped like an egg). Plenty of breathtaking artwork on various forms of vessels, crockery and vases. Certainly beautiful. I couldn't stop admiring the tomb guardian beast. Its information plaque stated, "Polychrome glazed pottery. Statue of Tomb Guardian Beast. Tang, AD 618-907. (彩色釉陶镇墓兽。唐，公元618－907年。)". Okay. I didn't take an audio guide, more googling on the phone was required to understand the method of coloring, firing and whatnots.

The friends mentioned that half of the items on display would be replicas and not the actual precious item. They seemed seriousWhatever. I'm no expert in pottery and ceramics or art of this period. I'm looking at the intricacy of the piece from the era which has been miraculously hand churned, and not factory produced. So even if it's a replica, it will be a more or less 95% accurate representation of the actual item.

If you dislike being blasted in the face by this much traditional and classical displays of history, pop by these fun Chopsticks Museum (民间民俗藏筷馆) and the fascinating Typewriter Museum (It's within Old York Art Space, a very happening venue for indie folk rock, music and art events. 打字机博物馆，在老约克艺术空间。). Very vintage, retro, and a total scream. Love both.

景德镇窑青花骑兽吹螺人像。明万历，公元1573－1620年。