Progress:
Hey, welcome back! As promised, I would visit the Bower's Museum and I did! I had a great time and I will tell you everything I experienced and learned.
Hey, welcome back! As promised, I would visit the Bower's Museum and I did! I had a great time and I will tell you everything I experienced and learned.
So before I walked in with my family, I did not know what to expect. I knew that it would be based on Chinese culture but when I saw the sculpture (above), I did now what I was going to see. I personally thought it was a giant noodle!
Anyhow, when we walked in, I could not believe what I was seeing. It was a giant room filled with ancient Chinese objects! There was Chinese clothing, plates, statues, you name it! I felt like I was in ancient China. :)
The museum was also not as crowded as I thought, which was good! That meant I could observe each artifact closely without feeling pressured to move aside for the next person to see.
For the bowls and plates, I tried to pay attention to what kind of materials that the Chinese used. They mostly used clay, stoneware, and porcelain. It was really interesting and I knew that back then, theses were really expensive. In each pot, vase, and plate, I noticed that the Chinese were extremely detailed in their designs and patterns. I noticed that they mostly drew flowers on their objects. Nevertheless, I also knew that each piece of artifact held a powerful story.
The museum was also not as crowded as I thought, which was good! That meant I could observe each artifact closely without feeling pressured to move aside for the next person to see.
For the bowls and plates, I tried to pay attention to what kind of materials that the Chinese used. They mostly used clay, stoneware, and porcelain. It was really interesting and I knew that back then, theses were really expensive. In each pot, vase, and plate, I noticed that the Chinese were extremely detailed in their designs and patterns. I noticed that they mostly drew flowers on their objects. Nevertheless, I also knew that each piece of artifact held a powerful story.
Along the way, I found this huge chess table. I still wonder whether if the Chinese just created this for art purposes or if they really played chess. Also, I wonder if they played chess the same way we play today?
As I kept walking, I suddenly found what I was looking for the entire time. The Chinese dresses and blouses! I honestly had to take a step back and admire what was right in front of me. I researched so much about it that it was surreal for me to see it right there. They were so beautiful! I wondered how much time it took to make one of those and how much it would cost today.
I was truly mesmerized. I payed attention to each of the patterns and designs. Also, with my knowledge on the colors and the silk, I made educated guesses on what kind of person these clothing belonged to.
I was truly mesmerized. I payed attention to each of the patterns and designs. Also, with my knowledge on the colors and the silk, I made educated guesses on what kind of person these clothing belonged to.
These were some of the statues (above) that I found there. However, I was not particularly sure with what the second picture was, so I decided to do a little research.
It turns out that that was in fact what the Chinese regarded as a "guarded lion," or shi. They would be placed in front of Chinese imperial palaces, tombs, government offices and homes, and temples. They were believed to protect people from potential danger. They also usually come in pairs and are still placed in front of restaurants and hotels today.
It turns out that that was in fact what the Chinese regarded as a "guarded lion," or shi. They would be placed in front of Chinese imperial palaces, tombs, government offices and homes, and temples. They were believed to protect people from potential danger. They also usually come in pairs and are still placed in front of restaurants and hotels today.
I also found out that stone was common material used because in the picture, stone was also used for ritual purposes.
The first image is of different Chinese characters representing the same things. The first row represented an ox, then a mood, an eye, and then a vehicle. I noticed that for the first two columns, the characters were actual drawings of what it was supposed to represent. If you look closely, the symbol for the eye in the first column was actually a drawing of an eye. I thought that was really interesting. As you move towards the right of the list, it started looking more like Chinese characters that you may see today.
However, on the right was a painting of the mountains in China. I thought this was really cool because it represented how precise the Chinese were with their art. Whoever painted this accurately painted the mountains. This gave me a little background on what ancient China looked like.
However, on the right was a painting of the mountains in China. I thought this was really cool because it represented how precise the Chinese were with their art. Whoever painted this accurately painted the mountains. This gave me a little background on what ancient China looked like.
Before I even realized it, I was heading to the end of the museum visit. However, this last artifact was what blew me away. It was a clear Buddha (bottom). Many may say that there was nothing really fascinating about the sculpture, but as a Buddhist, I thought it was the most beautiful Buddha to have ever existed (I wish I was exaggerating). Most Buddhas I have seen are made of gold, stone, or porcelain but I thought this was really pretty. It sort of represented peace and serenity, which was a perfect way to end my museum visit.
Reflection:
In conclusion, I thought that was a fascinating museum. I usually go to art museums and that being my first cultural museum, I thought it was great. My family enjoyed it too. I thought it was weird seeing the things that I researched for my last blog post. Like I said before, it was almost surreal seeing the things right in front of me after researching about them for so long. I truly learned a lot in this museum. Sometimes I feel like I learn more about things in museums than my actual researching. This was one of those cases.
It was nice to see where China all began. There was not a moment where I thought "Wow I am bored. Can I go home now?" If one of my friends was interested in learning more about different cultures, this would be the first place I would take them. I am also really glad that this museum was free because it makes it worth going (and my parents' wallet happy!) However, because it was free, I did not expect there to be much. But, I was actually wrong. There were so many rooms that were filled with ancient Chinese artifacts. It was like a maze for me. The more I walked into the room, the more things got fascinating. I did not expect there to be so much.
I honestly think I could write an entire essay on my findings. For a free museum, I was truly shocked. Overall, I had a great time and I think it was a great place for me to bond with my family. We would always talk about the history of each artifact and show each other what we knew about it. Anyways, I had so much fun and I truly encourage you to check out this museum! Even though they have different themes every so often, I still think you'll be able to experience what I experienced when I visited. Alright, I am going to end here and will talk to you all very soon with my next blog post on ancient Greek culture! Yay! Goodbye!
-Kelly
In conclusion, I thought that was a fascinating museum. I usually go to art museums and that being my first cultural museum, I thought it was great. My family enjoyed it too. I thought it was weird seeing the things that I researched for my last blog post. Like I said before, it was almost surreal seeing the things right in front of me after researching about them for so long. I truly learned a lot in this museum. Sometimes I feel like I learn more about things in museums than my actual researching. This was one of those cases.
It was nice to see where China all began. There was not a moment where I thought "Wow I am bored. Can I go home now?" If one of my friends was interested in learning more about different cultures, this would be the first place I would take them. I am also really glad that this museum was free because it makes it worth going (and my parents' wallet happy!) However, because it was free, I did not expect there to be much. But, I was actually wrong. There were so many rooms that were filled with ancient Chinese artifacts. It was like a maze for me. The more I walked into the room, the more things got fascinating. I did not expect there to be so much.
I honestly think I could write an entire essay on my findings. For a free museum, I was truly shocked. Overall, I had a great time and I think it was a great place for me to bond with my family. We would always talk about the history of each artifact and show each other what we knew about it. Anyways, I had so much fun and I truly encourage you to check out this museum! Even though they have different themes every so often, I still think you'll be able to experience what I experienced when I visited. Alright, I am going to end here and will talk to you all very soon with my next blog post on ancient Greek culture! Yay! Goodbye!
-Kelly