Collections of Zhejiang Provincial Museum

Zhejiang Provincial Museum was established in 1929, originating from the first Hangzhou West Lake Expo. It was initially named "Zhejiang Provincial West Lake Museum" and was renamed "Zhejiang Provincial Museum" in 1976. In 2006, Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History was merged into the management of the Zhejiang Provincial Museum. In 2009, its Wulin Branch (including Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History) was completed and opened to the public. After more than 90 years of development, Zhejiang Provincial Museum (Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History) has become the largest comprehensive museum of humanities and sciences in Zhejiang Province, forming a new pattern of collection, research, protection, exhibition, and education, including Gushan Branch, Wulin Branch, Shamenghai's Former Residence, Huang Binhong Memorial Hall, and Gudang Cultural Relics Conservation and Research Base, etc.

Zhejiang Provincial Museum (Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History) has a collection of more than 100,000 cultural relics and specimens, with a wide range of categories and a complete historical sequence. Among them, Hemudu Culture relics, Liangzhu Culture jade artifacts, Yue Culture remains, Yue kiln and Longquan kiln celadon, Buddhist relics from the Five Dynasties, Wu-Yue State and Song Dynasty, Kuaiji mirrors from the Han Dynasty, Huzhou mirrors from the Song Dynasty, gold and silver coins from the Southern Song Dynasty, calligraphy and painting works and rubbings of gold and stone inscriptions from various dynasties, lacquerware from various dynasties, and revolutionary relics, etc. are all precious historical relics with regional characteristics and high academic value.

Currently, there are two basic exhibitions: "The Epic of the Land of Yue - An Exhibition of the History and Culture of Zhejiang" and "Qianjiang Tide - An Exhibition of Zhejiang Modern Revolutionary History," as well as themed exhibitions such as "A Piece of Jade on Kunshan Mountain - Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Ceramics," "The Greatest of Painting - Huang Binhong Art Exhibition," "Many Splendors - Lacquerware Art in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties," "Auspicious Elephant and Brightness - An Exhibition of Leifeng Pagoda Relics," "Legacy of Wenlan - Wenlan Pavilion and the Complete Library in the Four Branches of Literature," "Extraordinary Voices - Chinese Guqin in the World Intangible Cultural Heritage," "The Shining Craftsmanship - Zhejiang Folk Art of Modeling," "Ten Miles of Red Dowry - Red Dowry Furniture in Ningbo and Shaoxing Wedding Customs," etc. In addition, more than 20 diverse and rich temporary exhibitions are held and opened to the public every year, and multiple exhibitions have been awarded the "Top Ten Excellent Exhibition Awards of National Museums."

Zhejiang Provincial Museum (Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History) has always adhered to academic research as the foundation. Through the research of collections, historical culture, and museum studies, it serves the collection, protection, and exhibition of cultural relics in museums, and better fulfills the social education, cultural inheritance, and cultural dissemination functions of museums.

In recent years, Zhejiang Provincial Museum (Zhejiang Memorial Museum of Revolutionary History) has made tremendous progress in various undertakings and has received full recognition from all sectors of society. In 2008, the museum was rated as a "National First-Class Museum" by the National Cultural Heritage Administration. In 2009, it was recognized by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China as a "National Patriotic Education Demonstration Base." In the same year, it was also evaluated as a "National-Level Museum Jointly Built by Central and Local Authorities" by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Ministry of Finance. In 2012, it was jointly awarded the title of "Advanced Unit in National Cultural System Reform" by the Publicity Department the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Ministry of Culture, the National Radio and Television Administration, and the National Press and Publication Administration. It was rated as "Excellent" in the evaluation of National First-Class Museums from 2014 to 2016. In 2018, it was designated as a "National Research and Experiential Education Base for Primary and Secondary School Students" by the Ministry of Education.

Collections:

Neolithic Liangzhu Culture Jade Cong

The artifact is a low, flat square column with a round inner and square outer shape. The top and bottom ends are rounded discs with a pair of drilled round holes in the center and cutting marks left by the improper bidirectional cutting. There is a concave depression formed at the lower end when taking out the material. Each side of the Cong is divided into two halves by a central vertical groove, and each half is further divided into two sections by a horizontal groove, with an upper and lower part in each section.

On the vertical groove on each of the four sides, there are relief carvings of two mythical human and animal faces, totaling eight carvings. They are intricately carved using both shallow relief and fine-line engraving techniques. On the rectangular convex surface divided into two sections, there are simplified symbolic carvings of mythical human and animal faces, which are identical on all four corners and symmetrically arranged. This combination of human and animal patterns is the basic feature of Liangzhu Culture jade cong decoration. Additionally, on each side of the mythical animal face, there is a bird carving with exaggerated proportions of the head, wings, and body. The overall decoration is filled with curly cloud patterns, straight lines, and arcs, creating intricate and delicate carvings.

Neolithic Hemudu Culture "Double Birds Facing the Sun" Ivory Carving

This is a fragment of a "butterfly-shaped object" with the upper half missing and the bottom slightly damaged. In the middle of the front side, there is a deeply meaningful pattern carved in intaglio: in the center is a sun pattern composed of five concentric circles of different sizes, with flames carved on the upper end of the outer circle, symbolizing the sun's rays. On both sides, there are two birds with wings ready to take flight. The birds have round eyes, hooked beaks, and elongated necks, looking upward with a majestic posture. The edges of the object are adorned with feather-shaped patterns, with clean and concise lines. The eyes of the birds and the center of the sun pattern are both shallowly carved in a conical shape, adding vivid colors to the piece. On both sides of the images, there are also six small round holes drilled for the purpose of fastening or hanging.

The Warring States Period Bronze Model of Musical House

The floor plan is in the shape of a rectangular room with three openings on each side and three layers in depth. The southern side is completely open without walls or doors, and there are two cylindrical pillars standing in the center. The eastern and western sides have tall, rectangular, grid-like walls that extend down to the floor. The northern wall only has a small window in the center. The four corners have pointed roofs, and there is an octagonal pillar standing in the center of the roof. At the top of the pillar, there is a sculpture of a large dove, and the pillar itself is hollow but not connected to the roof. There are four steps leading up to the room. The roof, back wall, and the four steps are adorned with interconnected repetitive patterns, while the faces of the octagonal pillar feature interconnected S-shaped cloud patterns. Inside the room, there are six people kneeling, with their hair tied up and bodies unclothed. Two of them are holding hands on their lower abdomen, possibly representing musical prostitutes. The other four individuals are depicted in various positions: playing the flute, playing the guqin, striking the drum with a mallet, or playing the stringed instrument with a small stick. They should be musicians.

Warring States Period Yue King's Zhuji Yushi Sword

The Yue King's Zhuji Yushi Sword is made of bronze and measures 52.4 centimeters in length. The sword has a wide blade with a raised central ridge, and the double-edged blade curves inward near the tip. The circular pommel of the sword has two protruding bands with decorative patterns of distorted animal faces, and the grip is wrapped with silk threads. The sword guard is adorned with engraved inscriptions of birds, insects, and written characters. On the front side, it reads "Yue King, Yue King," and on the reverse side, it reads "Zhuji Yushi." The inscription area is inlaid with turquoise stones as thin as cicada wings, although some have been lost and only traces of red adhesive materials remain. The sword is accompanied by a complete scabbard, which is made by adhering two thin wooden pieces together, reinforced with silk thread bindings, and coated with black lacquer.