The Collectors
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Thursday 27 October 2005
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A couple of years ago the Professor of Chinese at Hong Kong University Shiu Hon Wong and his wife Nancy Wong decided to donate their magnificent personal collection of Chinese antiquities to our Museum.
The Wong’s Collection, as it is known, was 30 years in the making and now it’s being shared with the public. Justin Murphy shows us some of the highlights.
This donation is the biggest in the history of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. There are 250 pieces ranging from the neolithic period to the present day.
The oldest pieces are 'prehistoric' and date back to 7000BC.
Horses are prominent in the collection. The aristocracy was obsessed by horses, particularly war horses as they were seen as symbols of power. Many horses were used as funery objects.
The largest part of the collection consists of ceramics. In addition to these, there are carvings in wood and stone, metal artefacts, musical instruments, furniture and snuff bottles.
