介绍:
Read by Yang Yong, this is a small batch from our weekly literary program: Ink&Quill.
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Browsing around the No. 2 Exhibition Hall of Shanghai Museum, visitors feel like they are stepping into Aladdin's Cave of Treasures. But unlike the mythical cave that is filled with gold and gems, the items displayed here are objects of ancient and contemporary art, technology, industry, and weapons, all of which have been culled from the global collection of the British Museum in London.
From an over 2,600-year-old clay tablet engraved with the story of a great flood to a credit card issued by HSBC, this exhibition tries to explore the world history from two million years ago to the present, by showcasing only 100 objects.
The quantity of exhibits on display may not sound that impressive, yet according to Dr Belinda Crerar, curator of the exhibition, each object is an example of human creativity.
"From the very early stone tools, to modern technologies like solar-powered lamps, the 100 objects that you see in the exhibition, each presents a product of human experience, whether that was a technological hinderence that our creative ingenuity has overcome, or just something to aid relations with fellow humans."
Entitled "A History of the World in 100 Objects", this exhibition evolved from a series of radio programs co-produced by the BBC and the British Museum back in 2010. But unlike the radio series of 100 episodes, the exhibition is divided into just nine segments, such as "The First Cities", "Trading and Invading", and "The World of our Making".
German, Hartwig Fischer was appointed as the first non-British director of the British Museum. He says the purpose of the exhibition is not to demonstrate differences and disparities, but rather, what various civilizations have in common.
"The exhibition tells the history of the world based on objects, objects from societies that have no writing and societies that have left written records. So across two million years, it tries to establish a kind of equality between all these cultures. Museums are about objects. If you like our words, that's our text that we interpret. The exhibition introduces a new way of dealing with these objects, of having them tell their stories to introduce a very wide public to two million years of human history. The exhibition itself has been enjoyed by more than one million visitors today, as part of the global tour from Abu Dhabi to Australia. "
As part of this worldwide journey, "A History of the World in 100 Objects" first graced the National Museum of China in the capital city Beijing, where it spent about three months, and has now moved on to Shanghai.
No matter where it lands, the exhibition causes a stir, and draws thousands of admiring visitors.
"For the first time in my life, I find a museum exhibit that is a counterfeit football jersey. According to the introduction, the shirt was manufactured in Indonesia in 2010. I mean, what a unique way to explain world history by putting a football jersey on display! Not to mention the exhibit is a counterfeit! I think from this football shirt, you can understand how football, as a sport, gains its global popularity. We are always under the impression that museums are supposed to showcase treasures. In fact, they are educational institutions. "
"There are a few objects from China present in this exhibition of global history, which is something that every Chinese citizen should be proud of. One of the items is bronze ware made during the Shang Dynasty, which showcased how advanced Chinese civilization was in that era. What impresses me the most is the sophisticated bronze-making techniques and the etiquette codes that the ware implies."
In the exhibition room, crowds gather together and lean over a glass case to examine an Ancient Egyptian coffin with a kind of veneration; in a hidden corner, some are closely scrutinising a small golden model of a llama; while many simply stand still, drink in the view, and marvel at the detail contained in the German painter Albrecht Durer's famous drawing, "The Rhinoceros".
To help visitors grasp more background stories about each item, an online audio introduction is also provided.
Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum, emphasises that while the theme of this exhibition is about objects, there is nothing disjointed about the show.
"It takes you around the world, not only around the world, not only across the surface of the globe, but also into the depths of the history. And I think it does that because the objects tell a story and we as those who are the custodians of these objects have a wonderful responsibility to tell the stories which are always stories about human beings."
However, since some of the objects featured in the original radio series are too fragile to travel, such as the Admonitions Scroll drawn by the 4th century Chinese artist Gu Kaizhi, a companion book was deemed a better choice for voracious history buffs.
Huang Chungao, is a historian from Peking University.
"Today, most of the history books we can find in the market are categorized into three types: comprehensive history, history of civilization, and global history. The source materials of these books largely come from written documents and records. The pictures of objects are used as supplement for texts. But in the book, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects', the author focuses on objects. He first introduces the story of certain object, and then explains how it was founded and its significance in the larger context. For me, the book combines the functions of both museum and library."
Written by Neil MacGregor, the former director of the British Museum, who is also the narrator of the hugely popular BBC radio podcast "A History of the World in 100 Objects", the namesake book is undoubtedly a visual feast, as it binds colourful illustrations and engaging stories.
In the eyes of Guo Xiaoling, director of the Capital Museum, it is the stories that allows the book to gain a wider audience.
(Act5, Guo, male, Chinese)
"In fact, history is about telling stories. Without stories, history might be too dull. The way that the author links physical items with intriguing stories and how he relates those stories to the people of today are quite meaningful."
Flipping through the pages, we discover how a lover figurine made during the Ice Age matters to the study of early farming societies; understand why a buckskin map drawn by Native Americans in the 18th century implies the gestation of the American War of Independence; and get a glimpse of the global power shifts of the nineteen century from a buffalo-shaped wooden drum.
Among all the items that have been selected, ten items from China also earn their place in "A History of the World in 100 Objects", ranging from the Tang dynasty tomb figures to a solar-powered lamp.
Head of the Capital Museum, Guo Xiaoling is full of praise for the way the author tries to balance different historical sources in the book.
"Among the dozens of chapters in this book, he basically covers all the major happenings through history across the globe. From prehistory to the birth of religion, he starts to talk about early civilizations. He writes about human developments in Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Greece and Rome. Then he proceeds to depict the Middle Ages in Europe, Christianity, the Ottoman Empire, and also the rise of Islamic civilization. Following a strict chronological timeline, he is not biased, since he also takes a closer look at what happened in countries and regions such as Japan, Vietnam, and Oceania. As the preface of this book explains, 'A History of the World in 100 Objects' is not just from a western perspective."
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That was our latest review on the book "A History of the World in 100 Objects".
If you happen to be in Shanghai, don't miss your chance to check out this awe-inspiring namesake exhibition. It runs at Shanghai Museum until October 8th.
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