TAICHUNG, Taiwan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Jadeite Cabbage” and “Little Jadeite Cabbage,” two jade sculptures from the National Palace Museum’s (NPM) collection, will be on display at the Taichung World Flora Expo from Nov. 3 through April 24, 2019.
The Jadeite Cabbage, measuring 18.7 by 9.1 cm and 5.07 cm thick, is a perfect depiction of bok choy carved from a green-and-white jade. With a sculpture of locust and a katydid perched on a leaf, the jade art deftly presents the form and colors of the bok choy.
The Little Jadeite Cabbage, on the other hand, measuring 13.4 cm by 8.9 cm, is craved from a green jade. The sculpture vividly portrays the form and texture of foliage with a mantis perched on the stalk, presenting how living creatures live in harmony with nature.
The two pieces of art are on display at the Houli Horse Ranch venue’s NPM Butterfly Hall, which took its name from a famous line of NPM’s collection of “Poetry” from Northern Song dynasty.
According to Director Chen Chi-nan of NPM, the Jadeite Cabbage echoes the expo for it embodies agriculture in central and southern Taiwan. He hopes the jade sculpture will remind viewers of the origin of land and agriculture.
In response to the expo, the NPM has transformed its cultural relics into new media art to showcase at the NPM Butterfly Hall, which incorporates the core values of ecosystem, nature, and harmony of the expo, as well as characteristics of flowers and horses to create a brand new immersive experience for visitors, said Deputy Director Lee Ching-hwi of NPM.
Moreover, replication of NPM’s collection of flower and horse-related cultural relics are also on display at the Horse Ranch Main Office, a city-level monument situated at the Houli Horse Ranch, to open a dialogue between modern civilization, nature, and ancient artifacts.
In addition to jade sculptures, the expo will showcase more than 150 flora-themed artworks in collaboration with NPM, Tokyo Fuji Art Museum, and the National Taiwan Museum to expand culture scene and possibilities.
Taichung City Mayor Lin Chia-lung stressed that the flora expo belongs not only to Taichung but the whole island of Taiwan. The city government had worked closely with local public and private sectors across Taiwan to present Taiwan’s wonderful things to the world through the expo.
