TEHRAN – Beijing will begin
exhibiting 211 historical objects of Iran for three months from Thursday, officials of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts said Wednesday, stressing that they have received a “property protection guarantee” from the Chinese government for the works.
Ezzatullah Zarghami, the minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, announced recently that the government had issued the permit for a six-month exit of 211 valuable historical objects to be displayed in the exhibition of the splendor of ancient Iran following a memorandum of understanding signed with China.
He said the exchange can play a big role in promoting the civilization and cultural heritage of Iran, adding China will hold an exhibition of its historical works in Iran.
A day after the announcement, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Ali Darabi said that “The Glory of Ancient Iran” would display 216 historical objects about the country’s 3,000-year history at the Beijing Museum.
Li Chun, the deputy minister of culture and tourism of China, thanked Iran for the exhibition in Beijing’s Forbidden City, saying it is the most important method of education to introduce the civilization of a country and identify between nations.
“All our efforts are to preserve 216 historical works of Iran, which are going to be displayed in Beijing and other Chinese cities. We will have a good cooperation to preserve the works,” he said.
Chun also referred to 6,665 museums that exist in China, saying “The Glory of Ancient Iran” is a good start to display historical Iranian works in Chinese museums so that the Chinese can get to know the ancient civilization of Iran and mutually Chinese works should be displayed in Iranian museums and Iranian people should get to know Chinese culture.
In the “Glory of Ancient Iran” exhibition, 211 historical objects dating from the Iron Age to the Safavid era – spanning a period of more than 3,000 years - will be displayed along with five recreated objects.
Marlik gold cup with unicorn pattern, Qalaichi glazed brick with animal pattern, Hamadan silver handle pitcher, Hamedan gold tekuk in the shape of a lion head, Takht Jamshid lion head made of lapis lazuli, Takht Jamshid statue made of blue paste, plaster human bust from Fars Hajiabad, a Sassanid glass bowl from Deylaman of Gilan, a Sassanid silver plate and a Sassanid silver pedestal plate with the image of a horseman are among the works that are said to be exhibited in China.
The Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts says the exhibition is in line with its duties to properly introduce the history and culture of Iran to other nations and cultures and encourage Chinese tourists to travel to Iran, given the impact that holding exhibitions has in attracting foreign tourists.
The exhibition is held with the participation of the National Museum of Iran, with deputy minister Darabi , director general of Iranian museums Hadi Mirzaei and director general of the National Museum of Iran Jabraeil Noukandeh set to attend the opening.
Mirzaei had previously said that all the expenses related to this exhibition, from the preparation of objects to packaging, transportation and dispatch of the trustees of the cultural-historical property of the National Museum of Iran and representatives of Iran to attend the opening of the exhibition were to be undertaken by China.
He also told ISNA that the Chinese government has guaranteed the protection of the property.
The objects are also likely to be exhibited in the museums of Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi’an and Urumqi with the approval Iranian government.
The issue of setting up an exhibition of Iranian historical artifacts in China has been discussed since 2022, following a joint statement on “Asian action initiative in the protection of cultural heritage” signed on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In that statement, Iran and China have committed to holding mutual exhibitions of historical works in their respective territory.
The National Museum of Iran had previously held exhibitions in China. In 2013, about 10 selected works from the National Museum of Iran were loaned to the Shanghai Museum of China to be displayed in the 60th year of the establishment of the museum, along with 90 historical pottery from the U.S., Turkey, England, and Italy.
In 2018, in an exhibition entitled “Glory of Asian Civilizations”, jointly held with 21 countries including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Armenia, India, Jordan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Japan Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore and Laos from Asia and Greece and Egypt from Europe and Africa, Iran had sent 15 historical objects to be displayed in Beijing.
In the same year, 14 other objects from the National Museum of were shown in an exhibition entitled “The World of Long Chuan: Celadon Long Chuan and Globalization” in the Forbidden City of Beijing, with their return to Iran coinciding with strict coronavirus guidelines being implemented by the countries.