NEW HALL OPENS JANUARY 30 



644-1911 



ular theater — is recreated through gro- 

 tesquely masked and costumed figures 

 and puppets. A scene from a religious 

 drama depicting the torments of hell 

 dominates the theatrical section of the 

 hall. 



M, 



-ost of the remains of life as it was 

 in Old China — the objects of its mate- 

 rial culture — have been destroyed or lost 

 during the past half-century of Chinese 

 history. Collections of the size and qual- 

 ity represented in the Museum's new 

 hall probably can never — even in China 

 — be reassembled again. 



These materials represent the end of a 

 historical succession of imperial dynas- 

 ties that began in the third century be- 

 fore Christ, when all of China was con- 

 solidated under one head, and ended 

 forever with the dethronement of the 

 last Manchu emperor in 1911. During 

 the long centuries between, China pro- 

 vided the major cultural focus for all of 

 eastern Asia, including Japan and Ko- 

 rea, the northern and central Asiatic 

 continent, Tibet, and much of Indo- 

 china. 



It is the period of. the last dynasty (the 

 Ch'ing, or Manchu) which has been 

 nostalgically remembered by the sea cap- 

 tains, soldiers, generals, missionaries, 

 traders, and commercial entrepreneurs 

 of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th cen- 

 turies who became known as "old China 

 hands." 



Their China — a country of pigtails, 

 fans, and trousered women; of scholar- 

 ship, quiet courtyards, and elaborate 

 ceremony; of street circuses, bridal pro- 

 cessions, and Buddhist festivals — is 

 evoked once again in the objects that 

 visitors will see in the new exhibition. 



COINS 



HAND PUPPETS 



DRAGON KING, LUNG WANG 

 (BRONZE) 



FLAGEOLET 



GUITAR 



(P.R.N.) 



PEWTER DISH 



JANUARY Page 3 



