Italian |
The National Museum of China, in collaboration with the Hunan Provincial Museum and 17 additional Chinese museums, joined with 21 Italian museums to present the exhibition “No Questions Asked: From the Silk Road to the Renaissance.” Featuring over 200 artifacts, this exhibition is one of the most comprehensive in recent years between international and domestic museums, highlighting the rich cultural exchanges between the East and West.
This exhibition presents a dialogue of material civilizations, tracing the evolution of Eastern and Western interactions from isolated development to dynamic cultural fusion and mutual influence. By comparing Chinese elements in Italian Renaissance art and Western influences within Chinese art, the exhibit sheds light on the Silk Road’s impact on both material and spiritual civilizations across these cultures.
It offers a dual perspective by not only highlighting the influence of Western art on Chinese art but also showcasing the presence of Chinese elements within Italian Renaissance works, inviting audiences to reconsider the impact of Chinese art on European Renaissance and to find a distant spiritual homeland in the unfamiliar and faraway.
Touring Period
2018-2019
Flora, Goddess of Flowers
1st Century AD
47cm × 41cm × 6cm
Excavated from Pompeii
Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Italy
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
As recorded in the manuscript: In the city of Manzi, China (present-day Hangzhou, China), there were 12,000 stone bridges, and the houses were grand and luxurious.
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
As recorded in the manuscript: The beautiful stone bridge over the Prisangam River (present-day Lugou Bridge outside of Beijing, China).
Copyright: 超人的旅途分享
Marco Polo’s Will (Image 1) & Inventory of Marco Polo’s Estate at the Time of His Death (Image 2):
In his will, Marco Polo appointed his wife and daughter as trustees of his estate, arranged for the payment of a tithe, canceled debts owed by others, and made a donation to the church. He also granted his “Tatar servant” Peter the right to freedom, along with a legacy of 100 Venetian lira. The inventory of Marco Polo’s estate left to his daughter Fantina includes several items related to the East, such as a Tatar silk robe, a gugu hat, three pieces of Chinese silk, a small bag filled with long animal hair, a “nashishi” robe, and a gold medal.
Copyright: 超人的旅途分享
Copyright: 超人的旅途分享
CC BY-SA 4.0
In the image, there are 13 figures, with the bearded man in the center identified as Marco Polo, showing rare treasures to friends and family while recounting tales of the East. Marco Polo’s residence is located in Venice at S. Giovanni Crisostomo, where signs on the exterior wall read “SOTOPORTEGO DEL MILION” and “CORTE SECONDA DEL MILION,” meaning “The House of the Man of a Million.”
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
Wikimedia Commons
CC BY-SA 4.0
This manuscript is the earliest source of The Travels of Marco Polo preserved in Venice, Italy. The illustrated French manuscript of The Travels of Marco Polo was commissioned by John, Duke of Burgundy and uncle of King Louis VI of France. It is one of the most richly illustrated and exquisite surviving manuscripts of The Travels of Marco Polo, showcasing a typical Gothic style. The illustrations depict Marco Polo’s journey to the East with his father and uncle, as described in the travelogue.
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