The China National Silk Museum (CNSM) in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province, in collaboration with Hungary’s Museum of Applied Arts, recently inaugurated an art exhibition. The show, boasting 34 Hungarian artifacts from the 16th and 17th centuries that have never been showcased in China before, offers a fascinating glimpse into the affluent lifestyle of Hungary’s aristocratic House of Esterhazy.
The exhibition is divided into curated sections such as “men’s clothing” and “household goods.” Silk garments, luxurious bedspreads, and jewel-inlaid canes are amongst the items on display. Through these artifacts, visitors can delve into the distinctive textile aesthetics of Hungary and gain insights into the historical cultural lifestyles of the Hungarian people.
The exhibition, insured for around 200 million yuan ($27.6 million), is marked by a standout piece—a silk wall hanging from the Safavid Dynasty, illustrating a court gala hosted by the contemporary sovereign. This prized artifact, never before displayed outside Hungary, was originally crafted in northwestern Iran’s Tabriz and underwent restoration in 2003.
Cultural sociologist Chu Xin shared his thoughts with the Global Times, stating that while Chinese audiences may be unfamiliar with the artifact’s backstory, it testifies to the “silk craze” that was globally shared in the past. Chu highlighted that countries like Italy and France, besides Hungary, have had a longstanding appreciation for silk, China’s famed invention.
The exhibition, which will run until August 21, is one of the significant events lined up for the 2023 Silk Road Week, commencing on July 12. The annual event, which made its debut at the China National Silk Museum in 2020, is themed “The Silk Roads: Long Roads and Mutual Goals” for its 2023 edition. The event seeks to disseminate information and knowledge about the Silk Road, fostering academic research in the process.
Hungary, the first European country to join the Belt and Road Initiative, has the distinction of being the Guest Country of Honor for this year’s Silk Road Week. To reciprocate the gesture, an exhibition showcasing China’s silk history and techniques will take place in Budapest, Hungary’s capital, in October.
Ji Xiaofen, the director of CNSM, expressed hope for the Silk Road Week to serve as a platform for sharing, dialogue, and exchanges. Inspired by the designation of the Chang’an-Tianshan Silk Road Corridor as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014, the Silk Road Week has been receiving UNESCO’s support since its debut, with over 200 cultural organizations and institutions from around the world partaking in the event.
Wang Xingkun, an expert on the cultural influence of the Belt and Road Initiative, observed that the ancient Silk Road’s spirit of binding countries and people together has extended into the present through the Initiative. Similarly, Anna Bognar, the head of the Department for International Affairs at the Museum of Applied Arts, asserted that cultural exchanges always serve to enhance connectivity between people.
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