Academic and Cultural Exchange Agreement Signed between the Chengdu Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the USA

Release Time: 2017-11-02

    On Aug. 31, 2015, an academic and cultural exchange agreement was signed by and between the Chengdu Museum and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the USA in the lecture hall of the Jinsha Site Museum, on which, Dr. Xu Jie, the curator of the Asian Art Museum, Mr. Wang Yi, the curator of the Chengdu Museum and other 50 principals of the Chengdu Museum, the Jinsha Site Museum and related business personnel showed up. 

    The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, built and officially opened to the outside world in 1966, has the largest collection of Asian relics, especially Chinese cultural relics, in the United States. In addition to its collections and exhibitions, the Museum has been committed to the introduction and popularization of Oriental culture with much exploration in the exhibition display, cultural exchanges, and visitor service, as well as outstanding performance in the youth education and social activities. Through a number of exchanges and understanding, a deep foundation was laid between the two museums for exchanges and cooperation. This time, an academic and cultural exchange agreement was concluded in the lecture hall of the Jinsha Site Museum. 

    Both sides expressed their intention to build a friendly cooperation relationship in protection and research of cultural relics, display and exhibition, publicity and social education, and personnel training. The cooperation would open a road for joint development, exploration and innovation, and a new situation of exchange and cooperation in academy and culture.

    After signing of the agreement, Dr. Xu Jie gave a lecture on the Bronze Containers of Sanxingdui and the Bronze Culture at the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River in the press conference hall. With more than 20 bronze wares unearthed from the sacrifice pit of Sanxingdui as the example, the doctor explained the difference and correlation between them and those found at the Central Plains and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River in their types and decoration styles, conditions and functions, and casting techniques of containers and bronze sculpture. He believed that those bronze containers of Sanxingdui may not be local according to their style. They were suspected of from the middle reaches of the Yangtze River or the Huaihe River Basin. However, no answer was given so far. 

    After the lecture, audiences showed great interests in his points so that they initiated hot discussion with him in respect of the origin of bronze containers at the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, the specific production place of Sanxingdui bronze containers and its archaeological culture as well as intended use.