The Grand Gathering of the Century: Zodiac Heads from the Yuanmingyuan and Important Treasures

The catalogue for The Grand Gathering of the Century: Zodiac Heads from the Yuanmingyuan and Important Treasures, accompanies the exhibition held at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, City University of Hong Kong (3 July– 30 November 2023), which showcases the results of East-West cultural exchanges, art technology, scientific discoveries and heritage conservation.

Held in conjunction with the twenty-sixth anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR, the exhibition also marks the centenary of the exhibition’s co-organiser, China Tourism Group Corporation [China Travel Service (Holdings) Hong Kong Limited]. Other co-organisers include China Poly Group Corporation Ltd. and the City University of Hong Kong.

This exhibition highlights a group of highly valued national treasures, including four zodiac heads from the Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace) of the Qing imperial court—now part of the collection of Poly Art Museum—that had been lost for over a century, as well as a complete set of twelve zodiac head sculptures created for the movie CZ12: Chinese Zodiac that are now part of the collection of the Asian Civilisations Museum, National Heritage Board of Singapore. By featuring the twelve zodiac head sculptures, models of early European clocks, the armillary sphere and the hydro-mechanical astronomical clock tower from the Song dynasty, the exhibition illustrates the meticulous design and technology of the Grand Fountain that combines Eastern and Western influences.

Other treasures date back to ancient China and other important periods in the development of Chinese culture. These include nearly forty bronze artefacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, Spring and Autumn period, Warring States period and the Han dynasty. There are also several enamelled vases and famille rose porcelain wares from the Qing dynasty, such as the brush holder with famille-rose flower-and-bird design on a turquoise ground designated for Empress Dowager Cixi, and facsimiles of animal paintings by the Italian Jesuit Giuseppe Castiglione, who designed the twelve zodiac heads. All of them exemplify the integration of Chinese and Western art in the Qing dynasty.

Along with the physical display, the exhibition features a variety of immersive experiences, innovative art technologies and other interactive installations. Together they give visitors a dynamic understanding of world heritage conservation, art technology and historical development, showcasing the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery’s pioneering achievements in integrating art, science and digital technology, and promoting broader community engagement.

The five essays in the catalogue provide an overview of the exchanges in art, culture, architecture, lifestyle, gardening and farming, and science and technology between China and the Jesuits from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. They also explore the history and development of rituals and ceremonies in the Qing dynasty and other periods in Chinese history.

為配合2023年7月3日至11月30日舉辦的「盛世聚首 天寶芳華：圓明園獸首暨文物」重要國寶珍品展，香港城市大學般哥展覽館特出版此展覽圖錄，藉以彰顯東西文化交流、藝術科技、科學發現與文化遺產保育的成果。

展覽是為誌慶香港回歸祖國二十六周年曁中旅集團百年華誕，由香港城市大學般哥展覽館聯同中國旅遊集團有限公司【香港中旅（集團）有限公司】、保利藝術博物館攜手合辦。

展覽以匯聚18世紀清代皇家園林圓明園的十二生肖獸首銅像為亮點。獸首原為圓明園西洋建築群中海晏堂的「大水法」水力噴泉裝置，按十二時辰每一獸首會依次噴水報時。展覽第一期展出保利藝術博物館珍藏的四件獸首原物。第二期則展出現藏新加坡亞洲文明博物館，來自成龍電影《十二生肖》中的全套十二尊獸首雕塑。展覽讓觀眾彷如置身清代圓明園海晏堂，細鑒這些散失百多年、流落世界各地的青銅獸首。而從圓明園獸首雕塑，以至早期歐洲機械塔鐘、北宋蘇頌渾儀及水運儀複製品同場展出，則全面闡述了水力噴泉裝置的精巧設計及中西結合的科技原理。

此外，展覽亦展出中國古代青銅禮器等重要珍寶，同時呈獻商周、春秋戰國、兩漢時期近40件青銅文物、清代的銅胎畫琺瑯瓶及粉彩瓷器，如慈禧太后的御製綠地粉彩花鳥紋筆筒，以及負責設計圓明園十二獸首銅像的清宮意大利耶穌會士郎世寧的動物畫作，以體現中西藝術交融特色。

除展出實物外，展覽亦透過各種沉浸式體驗、創新的藝術科技和其他創新的互動手法，讓觀眾得以動態方式理解世界文化遺產的保育、藝術科技和歷史變遷，充分展示香港城市大學般哥展覽館在融合藝術、科學與數碼技術的創新成就，並以推動更廣泛的社區參與為目標。

展覽圖錄中收錄的五篇文章，概括介紹了17至19世紀中西方，尤其是中國與歐洲耶穌會士在藝術、文化、建築、生活與科學技術等各方面的多元交流，以及追溯清宮帝皇，乃至中國歷代文化中，從「器」到「禮」禮樂儀式制度的賡續和發展。