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Smithsonian
and Singapore Organize World Tour of Shipwreck Treasure
Exhibition Highlights One of the Most Important Marine
Archaeological
Finds of the Late 20th Century
The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., the Singapore Tourism
Board and the National Heritage Board of Singapore today announced a
partnership to organize the first exhibition and international tour
of one of the oldest and most important marine archaeological finds
of the late 20th century.
The exhibition will focus on the 1998 discovery of a ninth-century
shipwreck and its astonishing cargo of about 60,000 objects from
Tang dynasty China, ranging from mass-produced ceramics to rare and
extraordinary items of finely worked gold. The cargo had laid
undisturbed on the ocean floor for more than 1,100 years until
sea-cucumber divers discovered it off the coast of Indonesia's
Belitung Island. The ship, an Arab dhow, and its contents confirm
the existence of a direct maritime trade route (alluded to in
ancient Chinese and Arabic texts) from China to the Persian Gulf and
beyond-well before the Portuguese set sail in the 15th century.
The discovery offers scholars and scientists an unprecedented time
capsule of knowledge about the period and a wealth of unanswered
questions that will fuel research for decades to come.
The
grand opening of the exhibition will take place in Singapore in late
2010 or early 2011. The Sackler Gallery will host the U.S. premiere in
spring 2012, coinciding with the museum's 25th anniversary celebration.
The exhibition is expected to travel for about five years to major
museums in Asia, the United States, Europe, the Middle East and
Australia.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Singapore on
this historic project," said Julian Raby, director of the Freer and
Sackler galleries. "The exhibition and tour will enable people around
the world to connect with these extraordinary artifacts and feel the
impact of a remarkable story that forever changes our view of ancient
global trade. Singapore has acted with great understanding and
forethought by protecting and preserving these objects collectively as a
world treasure and for generously presenting them to the public in the
form of an international traveling exhibition."
The cargo, known as the "Tang Shipwreck Treasure: Singapore's Maritime
Collection," was purchased with the support of the estate of Tan Sri
Khoo Teck Puat shortly after its discovery but has never been publically
displayed on a large scale. In the years following their recovery from
the sea the objects have remained in private storage, where they have
been studied and carefully restored.
"The 'Tang Shipwreck Treasure' has a special meaning for Singapore,"
said Aw Kah Peng, chief executive of the Singapore Tourism Board. "Its
compelling story resonates with Singapore's growth into a premier port
and trading hub. Situated at the crossroads of the East and West,
Singapore has always benefitted from the cultural exchange created
through trade among the Chinese, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian
civilizations, and maintains the same cosmopolitan outlook today. We are
particularly honored to join with the Smithsonian's Freer and Sackler
galleries to develop this important exhibition."
The cargo will provide the focal point for an exhibition of dramatic
scope, illustrating the dynamic interchange of ninth-century
geopolitical powerhouses along the maritime silk route from Changan
(modern Xian) to Baghdad, as well as the human stories of those who
toiled in China's factory-like kilns and the ship's crew, whose few
surviving belongings provide clues to their multi-ethnic identities.
The exhibition will reflect the range and size of the find and its
significance, as the largest consignment of Tang Dynasty export goods
ever discovered: lead ingots, bronze mirrors, spice-filled jars,
thousands of glazed bowls, ewers and other fine ceramics, including some
of the oldest cobalt-blue-and-white ceramics made in China. Among the
anticipated highlights of the exhibition is a small cache of
spectacular, intricately worked vessels of silver and gold, unparalleled
in quality and design. Why they were carried by the ship and who was
destined to receive them are among many questions provoked by the find.
"The extraordinary story of the cargo-a testament of cultural exchanges
and interactions in Asia via the Maritime Silk Route-resonates with our
work to promote understanding of the rich cultures that make up
Singapore's multi-ethnic society," said Michael Koh, chief executive of
the National Heritage Board. "Through our partnership with the Freer and
Sackler galleries, this remarkable story can now be presented to a wider
audience, both locally and internationally."
Often referred to as the Belitung Shipwreck, in reference to the nearby
Indonesian island, the dhow, approximately 21 feet wide and 58 feet
long, is the only vessel of Arab origin ever found in Southeast Asian
waters. Although the goods carried by the ship originated in China, the
ship is similar to a type built in the Middle East during the period and
for centuries thereafter. The port of departure and destination are
unknown, but scholars believe that the ship was bound for the Middle
East with a full load of goods from a southern Chinese port, possibly
Guangzhou. An accurate reproduction of this vessel, sewn together
without the use of a single nail, has been made in Oman and was recently
presented by the Sultanate of Oman to the government and people of
Singapore. Named The Jewel of Muscat, the vessel sailed from Muscat Feb.
16 and docked in Singapore July 3.
The Singapore Tourism Board (
www.stb.com.sg ) is an economic development agency for tourism, one
of Singapore's key service sectors. The National Heritage Board (
www.nhb.gov.sg ) promotes the
development of Singapore's cultural and heritage sectors.
The Freer and Sackler galleries are the Smithsonian's museums of Asian
art, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
For more information about the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer
Gallery of Art and their exhibitions, programs and other events, the
public may visit www.asia.si.edu .
For general Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000
or TTY (202) 633-5285.
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