National Palace Museum

Preview of 'Candidates for National Treasures': The National Palace Museum North Branch Invites the Public to Witness the 'National Treasure Certification Process Under Way'

In the splendid month of October, come admire national treasures and celebrate the National Day at the National Palace Museum! The Northern Branch of the National Palace Museum is renewing its routine painting and calligraphy exhibitions, showcasing a selection of outstanding works in the Museum collection, including exhibitions titled "Oversized Masterpieces Scrolls, " "Pictorial Songs of the Brush," "The Expressive Significance of Brush and Ink," and " Spotlight on National Treasures." This presentation includes a carefully curated selection of seven national treasures and fourteen significant antiquities.

Acting Director of the Painting and Calligraphy Documentation Department at the National Palace Museum, Mr. Ho Yan-chiuan, explained that the showcase features seven national treasures, including works such as the "Traveling by River During the First Snowfall" by Zhao Gan(10th c.), the "Buddhist Personages" by Zhang Shengwen(12th c.), the "Herding Horses" by Han Gan(8th c.), and the "Spring Dawn in the Han Palace" by Qiu Ying(ca. 1494-1552). Additionally, the showcase includes fourteen important antiquities, such as the "Eulogy to the Chronicle of Ni Kuan" by Chu Suiliang(596-658), the "Lofty Leisure at a Mountain Inn" by Guo Xi(ca. 1023-after 1087), and the "Six Scenes in Song and Yuan Styles" by Qiu Ying(ca. 1494-1552).

Notable among these are two precious, limited-time national treasures: the "Traveling by River During the First Snowfall", and the" Buddhist Personages". These two art-pieces, which include the depiction of the early snowfall and the life of fishermen between the waters and riverbanks, and the unique preserved scroll from the Dali Kingdom, are not to be missed. The first one will be on display from October 6 to November 12, followed by the second from November 14 to December 24. We extend a warm invitation to the public to seize these rare opportunities and appreciate these remarkable masterpieces.

Mr. Ho highlights as well that the subtitle "National Treasure Certification Process Under Way" is another noteworthy feature of this season's painting and calligraphy exhibitions. The National Palace Museum follows the guidelines of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act, submitting cultural relics for evaluation to the ROC’s Ministry of Culture. Experts and scholars commissioned by the ministry conduct on-site inspections to ascertain the level and preservation status of the items, followed by the public announcement of the evaluation results by the Review Committee Historic Artifacts. Previously, due to the fragile nature of painting and calligraphy artifacts, the exhibition was limited to three months. Unfortunately, by the time the results of the cultural relics review were announced, the exhibition had typically concluded, and the public missed the opportunity to witness the charm of "Newly Appointed National Treasures." In response to this, the National Palace Museum has intentionally selected artworks from the submission during the curation process, giving the public an opportunity to preview the current collection of cultural relics under evaluation and share in the precious historical moment when national treasures are born.

As of current, there are six candidates under evaluation by the National Palace Museum for the status of National Treasures  such as the "Book in the Style of the Tang Dynasty" by Wu Cailuan(9th c.), the "Former Ode to the Red Cliff " by Su Shi(1037-1101), the "Jade Mountain Afloat on a Vast River" by Li Tang(ca. 1049-after 1130), the "The Eight Views of Jiahe" by Wu Zhen(1280-1354), the "Sixteen Views of Eremitic Living" by Chen Hongshou(1598-1652), and the "Painting from Life" by Chuanqi(ca.1626-1705).

Additionally, there are four candidates for important antiquities, including the two anonymous paitings "Recluse in the Shade of a Willow Tree" and "Flowering Reeds and a Pair of Swans" of the Song Dynasty(960-1279), the "Recluse in an Autumnal Forest" by Shen Mao(14th c.), and the "Colored Painting of Flowers and Plants" by Chen Chun(1482-1544). As the status of these candidates have yet to undergo the cultural heritage review, the showcase items do not yet bear official classification labels. We invite the public to join us in anticipation for the upcoming announcement by the Review Committee for Historic Artifacts.

Exhibitions of Painting and Calligraphy IV at the Northern Branch of the National Palace Museum