Tucked away in the heart of Shanghais Peoples Square lies an illustrious institution dedicated to the documentation and preservation of ancient Chinese art. Simplistically dubbed the Shanghai Museum this one of a kind space devoted to creative expression in its purest form is one of the citys most popular cultural attractions. Constructed in the form of a grand dome with a square base the museums exterior appearance reflects the ancient Chinese philosophy of a round shaped heaven and a rectangular earth.
Spread out over an expansive space of 38,000 square metres the museum is divided into eleven separate galleries and encompasses three exhibition halls. Dubbed Ancient Sculpture, Seals, Ancient Bronze, Ming and Qing Furniture, Paintings, Ancient Ceramics, Ancient Jade, Minority Nationalities, Coins and Calligraphy the different sections display objects from the main categories of ancient Chinese art.
The Ancient Ceramics department is one of the highlights at the museum as it contains over 500 art pieces from a number of dynasties. Must-see items include the Neolithic era painted and gray hued pottery, Tang dynasty tri-coloured glazed pottery, primitive celadon from the Warring States and exquisite works from Jiangxi and Jingdezhen. The Ancient Bronze quarter on the other hand showcases 400 items from the Shang and Zhou eras while the paintings at the museum feature major works from the various genres and periods of Chinese painting. Buddhist sculptures dominate the Gallery of Chinese Ancient Sculpture although a wide variety of national seals denoting the countrys diverse national allegiances are on show at the Gallery of Chinese Seals. An impressive collection of 7000 pieces of currency are displayed at the Coins enclave which documents the evolution of currency in the Chinese Republic.
Another highlight at the museum is the decorative pieces of Jade in the section dedicated to ancient Jade wares. Chinese furniture and the resplendence of ancient Chinese households in the Ming and Qing dynasties are dealt with at the Chinese Furniture Gallery which is another focal point at the venue.
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