Daring eye-opening Chinese Motifs from old collection of artwork
Chinese Motifs within the context of art and culture
Peach branches and flying bats digital projection
Patterns in Chinese Motifs
The Ways in Patterns exhibition offers an introduction to the narrative of Chinese motifs within the context of the art and culture of China.
Digital projection of a phoenix flying through clouds and peony flowers
For those who appreciate the stories art must tell, but are not art historians, visiting a museum can feel a bit like joining a conversation mid-sentence.
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Through digital presentations, the Hong Kong Palace Museum’s exhibition reveals how patterns, from ancient ceramics to grand architecture, tell tales.
Animation based on artworks
The show leads visitors through seven sections, each with projections of animated motifs based on artworks from Beijing’s Forbidden City, now renamed the Palace Museum.
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The projections blanket floors, walls and ceilings. Initially, I wondered about attending an exhibition without any original artworks or artefacts, until I looked at the images taken with my smartphone.
Wall projection of ruyi sceptre-shaped clouds
At that moment, I realised the genie inside was boosting colour saturation, contrast and a hundred other details to make mobile photos pop.
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As I walked through and continued photographing larger-than-life dragons, phoenixes, flowers, peaches, bats, cranes, clouds and ceilings, I became more curious about where these motifs came from and their meaning.
Motifs from ceramics, textiles and architectural
This curiosity drove me to seek out the original artworks and artefacts exhibited in other areas of the museum. Thus, this exhibition offered an incentive to explore the entirety of the museum.
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The inspirations for these recurring Chinese motifs (i.e. the patterns referred to in the title) are found in and across generations of ceramics, textiles and architectural elements found in the Forbidden City.
Chinese imperial robes
These Chinese motifs carry meaning to those familiar with Chinese culture and history.
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Take the dragon, the quintessential Chinese symbol ever-present on imperial robes, porcelain, wooden furniture, even lacquer boxes.
The dragon: a symbol of a protector
Unlike the Western representation of dragons as evil beasts to be slain, Chinese dragons, while powerful, are benevolent protectors of those who are worthy.
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They are intermediaries between the divine and the human realms, and this promise of influence with the gods makes them auspicious.
Yellow male court robe with dragons and clouds
Ancient emperors claimed a special connection with two-horned, five-clawed dragons and, in so doing, also claimed the divine right to rule.
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For this reason, depictions of dragons are ever-present reminders of the emperor’s imperial power, authority, strength and masculine energy (Yang).
Chinese Motifs
The phoenix symbolises the empress, with an auspicious promise of grace, beauty and renewal.
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When paired with the emperor’s dragon, the phoenix signifies a harmonious union between the emperor and the empress, ruling together. The phoenix is the Yin to the emperor’s Yang.
Dish with peaches and bats
Dish with peaches and bats is the inspiration for one of the sections.
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Peach trees are long-lived, and their blossoming is associated with spring and renewal, a reason they symbolise longevity and immortality.
Digital projection of a lotus flower with cranes
Another reason for this association comes from the mythical figure of the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu), whose garden contains the legendary peach trees.
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The fruit of these trees grants the eater immortality. In many Chinese artworks, bats are frequently shown near peach trees because the Mandarin word for bat sounds like the word for good fortune, further enhancing its auspiciousness.
The lotus flower as a symbol of unity
The Chinese word for lotus is also a homonym, signifying harmony. The tale of Nezha and the Lotus supports this symbol of unity.
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As a young man, Nezha was unaware of his strength and accidentally killed the son of a dragon king. The dragon king vows revenge, prompting Nezha to sacrifice himself to save his community.
Floral Projections
Recognising Nezha’s redeemability, his master uses lotus flowers and leaves from a sacred pond to recreate his body, demonstrating the flower’s ability to thrive, pristine and beautiful, from muddy waters, symbolic of purity, enlightenment, and spiritual awakening.
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Another story tells how the peony gained the title of the King of Flowers by defying Wu Zetian (624-705 CE), an empress dowager who declared herself emperor.
Floral patterns projected on the floor and screens
According to the legend, she issued a decree to the flower fairies that all flowers in the imperial garden must bloom in the middle of winter.
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Only the peony refused. Because the peony remained true to nature, the flower fairies declared it the King of Flowers. And so, the peony is a symbol of strength and righteousness.
Five-panel screen, Throne with dragons and clouds, Pair of incense burners in the form of standing cranes
Cranes symbolise longevity, peace, and good fortune, as their long lifespans, graceful demeanour, and tall, slender bodies contribute to their regal appearance.
In mythology, they are the mounts of the Immortals. The crane’s ability to fly to the heavens also represents the soul’s journey towards immortality and spiritual enlightenment.
Chinese Motifs of a Crane
The cranes in this exhibition are inspired by an Incense burner shaped like a standing crane and a Theatrical robe for a senior female role with pine trees and cranes, both displayed elsewhere in the museum.
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Remarkably, clouds are also auspicious, with the word for clouds being a homonym for good fortune.
Pair of crane-shaped incense burners
An ancient backscratcher called a ruyi sceptre, whose shape often incorporates cloud patterns, evolved into a decorative object held by emperors and high-ranking officials, symbolising power and good fortune.
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Ruyi means “as one wishes,” and the pattern can be found on bronze ritual vessels, silk garments, and architectural decorations such as ceilings and window grilles, as well as jade carvings.
Theatrical robe for a senior female role with pine trees and cranes
The exhibit features two rooms that would be impossible to experience without a visit to the Palace Museum in Beijing.
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The first room recreates iconic caisson ceilings from the Palace Museum’s historic halls.
A traditional caisson ceiling with an animated emerging dragon
A traditional caisson ceiling is crafted from wood with interlocking structural members that allow it to rise upwards and inwards, creating successive layers that gradually decrease in size as they ascend towards the centre, without relying on large beams or the need for nails.
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Dragons and phoenixes are a central theme, usually surrounded by patterns of auspicious clouds and aquatic plants (like the lotus), which were symbolically believed to ward off fire, a major concern for wooden structures. The surfaces are richly carved, painted in vibrant colours, and gold gilded.
Box with dragons chasing a pearl
The various layers rotate in this exhibition, and a dragon descends from the carvings in one animation.
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The second transported experience reimagines a walk through a section of the Forbidden City, complete with high red walls, window grilles, and an entranceway that reveals a wild deer and a domestic cat.
Octagonal window inside the walls of the Forbidden City
I initially questioned a museum exhibition devoid of artworks or artefacts. However, I was won over.
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The symbols, animated and rendered in large, high-definition colour, are easy to remember. The curators have effectively identified motifs significant to Chinese art history, reinforcing the myths, tales, and stories central to the culture.
A room with a gigantic plate and various floral projections
I believe this exhibition will attract younger museum goers who may have been put off by traditional exhibitions.
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The experience enhanced my appreciation of the original artworks and artefacts displayed in other areas of the museum, and it was a fun place to take selfies.
Text and photos Martin Wray
