Newsletter No. 464

8 464 • 4.10.2015 ’ 口談實錄 Viva Voce 本刊由香港中文大學資訊處出版，每月出版兩期。截稿日期及稿例載於 www.iso.cuhk.edu.hk/chinese/newsletter/ 。 The CUHK Newsletter is published by the Information Services Office, CUHK, on a fortnightly basis. Submission guidelines and deadlines can be found at www.iso.cuhk.edu.hk/english/newsletter/ . When did you decide to study ancient artefacts? I majored in Chinese literature as an undergraduate. After graduation I became an editor at Beijing’s Cultural Relics Press. During those nine years, I gained a preliminary understanding of ancient relics and archaeology. Then I joined the Department of Fine Arts at CUHK to further my studies in ancient Chinese art history; I also worked at the Art Museum. That was when I found my career. One of the most fortunate things in life happens when one can integrate work and interest. Why did you choose to pursue further studies at CUHK? Back then art history was not yet a professional discipline in mainland universities, but it was already a forte of the CUHK Department of Fine Arts, with the internationally renowned Prof. Jao Tsung-I and Prof. Harold Mok Ka-leung , famous in painting and calligraphy studies. Not to mention the archaeology expert, Prof. Tang Chung of the Centre for Chinese Archaeology and Art, and the ceramics specialist and Art Museum Director Prof. Peter Lam . The star-studded line-up was very attractive. Just when I was finishing my MPhil in 2001, Prof. Jenny So joined the University and I had the good fortune to be her first doctoral student, specializing in artefact studies. How did working at Beijing’s Palace Museum enrich your experience? As a post-doctoral researcher at the Art Museum, I was involved in then director Prof. Peter Lam’s ancient Chinese goldware research. I compiled a catalogue and helped to coordinate the exhibition. Thanks to this experience, I was later recruited by the Palace Museum, and was responsible for the management, research and exhibition of goldware and jade. The Palace Museum has a massive and wide-ranging collection of ancient, particularly Qing and Ming, relics and historical texts. I was in charge of over 30,000 pieces of jade and gold relics. From 2011, I was tasked with designing the content of the new showcase at the Palace Museum’s Treasures Gallery. This gave me exposure to artefacts other than jade and gold, from which I had to select the most prized gems for exhibition. It also allowed me to have more interaction with museums and academic institutions worldwide. This expanded my vision and enabled me to study Chinese artefacts in a broader historical and cultural context. What is the Art Museum’s positioning, as far as collection building goes? The Art Museum’s collections come mainly from donations. The research interests of generation of directors have also 許曉東教授 Prof. Xu Xiaodong 文物館副館長 Associate Director, Art Musuem Photo by ISO staff 甚麼時候開始立志研究古代器物？ 我本科主修中文，1990年畢業後在北京的文物出版社當編 輯，在那九年裏對文物、考古有了初步認識，並產生了興趣。 後來到中大藝術系修讀中國古代藝術史，也曾在文物館工 作，便認定了事業路向。能把興趣和工作結合，是人生最大 的幸福之一。 為甚麼選擇在中文大學進修？ 當年藝術史在內地大學尚未成為專業，而在中大藝術系已 是強項， 饒宗頤 教授在國內外聲名遠播， 莫家良 教授在書畫 研究領域也享有盛名。此外，還有精研陶瓷的前文物館館長 林業強 教授、專擅考古的中國考古藝術研究中心 鄧聰 教授， 人才濟濟，很是吸引。我1999年到此攻讀哲學碩士，2001年 臨近畢業之時恰逢 蘇芳淑 教授加入中大，並很榮幸成為她門 下第一位博士研究生，從事器物研究。 在北京故宮博物院的工作又如何豐富了你的歷練？ 博士畢業後，我入職文物館任博士後研究員，參與林業強館 長主持的中國古代金器研究項目，撰寫圖錄，籌備展覽。中 大給我寶貴的學術和博物館訓練，後來我獲聘於故宮古器物 部，實得力於在中大的經驗。故宮有龐大的古代特別是明清 文物、文獻珍藏，品類齊全。當時我管理的玉器、金器文物有 三萬多件。2011年初開始負責故宮珍寶館改陳的內容設計， 有機會集中接觸除金玉之外的其他各門類文物，並從中挑選 珍品中的珍品作為展品。也因為有故宮這樣的平台，與世界 各地博物館和學府的接觸和交流也多了，眼界擴大了，學曉 在更廣闊的歷史文化背景下，研究中國文物。 文物館在建立館藏方面，有甚麼方向？ 文物館藏品主要來自捐贈，歷任館長的研究興趣也豐富了相 關門類文物的入藏，遂形成了豐富而又極具特色的藏品體 系。嶺南書畫、碑帖、陶瓷是現在最有特色的藏品門類。今 後，在進一步加強現有特色館藏的同時，也將致力發掘、豐富 與本地歷史文化相關的領域，比如清代南中國的外銷藝術。 近年文物拍賣價錢高企，會影響文物館收藏嗎？ 以文物館這類大學博物館來說，採購預算固然有限，不過， 具備歷史文化研究價值、有利教學的文物才是我們目標所 在，不一定需要天價藏品。有些物品價錢不高，研究價值卻 很高。 經常接觸古玉琥珀等文物，可曾有過悸動時刻？ 這樣的機會很多，那種感動，無以言表。你會不由自主地站 在它們面前，久久不願離去；或握在手中，反復摩挲把玩。那 一刻，你周圍的一切似乎不復存在，你彷佛可以觸摸、感受 到那個遠古的時代、那個時代的人和他們的情感。 文物館在教育推廣方面有甚麼方針？ 文物館一直希望向年輕人和普羅大眾推廣文化藝術，通過關 聯古今、鼓勵觀眾參與，拉近觀者與展品的距離。例如我們 配合書法、紫砂展覽，設計了臨池學書、篆刻、陶藝製作工作 坊。稍後舉辦的碑帖及莫臥兒王朝玉器展覽，也會有拓片試 做，以及在玻璃器皿上手繪玉器上的黃金寶石鑲嵌圖案等活 動。明年的中國古代黃金工藝展，贊助機構周大福的工藝大 師正在我們的研究協助下，嘗試重拾一些失傳的古代工藝技 術，並試圖用傳統的方法，製作金飾一併展出，還會現場示 範製作。在校內，文物館近年跟藝術系、中文系、人類學系加 強合作，時有提供文物作為授課、研究之用。長遠來說，希望 也可與大學其他院系、專業合作教研、展覽、研究等等。 built up the respective holdings, making ours a rich and unique collection. We are strong in paintings and calligraphy of the Lingnan School, epigraphy and model calligraphy, and pottery. We will strengthen our current collections while developing and enhancing areas related to local culture and history, such as export artefacts from South China during the Qing dynasty. Have high auction prices of artefacts affected the collection in recent years? University museums like the CUHK Art Museum have limited acquisition budgets of course. But our targets are items with historic and cultural research value that are beneficial for teaching, not necessarily exorbitantly-priced collectibles. Certain inconspicuous and inexpensive artefacts have great research value. Have you ever felt deeply moved by the ancient jades and ambers that pass through your hands? Very often. It’s an indescribable feeling. You’ll stare at them for a long time, not wanting to move; or hold them in your palms caressing. Everything else around you falls away and you’re transported to that faraway era, and you can feel the people and their sentiments. What are the museum’s directions in education and promotion? The Art Museum has always strived to promote art and culture to young people and the general public by highlighting the connections between antiquity and modernity, encouraging participation, and drawing the public closer to the exhibits. For example, to complement the calligraphy and zisha exhibition, we designed a calligraphy, seal-cutting and pottery making workshop. The soon-to-launch rubbing and Mughal Empire jade exhibition will feature rubbing trials and drawing of gold and gem-stone mosaics on glass. The exhibition on ancient Chinese gold craftsmanship will see master craftsmen from our sponsor, Chow Tai Fook Jewellery, reenacting ancient crafting procedures with knowledge gleaned from our research, to create gold ornaments that will be exhibited alongside the relics. In recent years, the Art Museum has strengthened collaborations with the Departments of History, Chinese, and Anthropology, lending artefacts for their teaching and research purposes. In the long run, we hope to develop teaching, research and exhibition partnerships with other departments and Faculties at CUHK.