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| Old lamps still shine |
| 日期:2004-03-18 16:26 编辑: system 来源： |
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We are all used to neon signs, street lamps and fluorescent tubes providing light and color in our lives. But what would life have been like before we had electricity to light our way? In Gaozhou city of South China's Guangdong Province, a Chinese vintage lamp collector gives us an idea.
Mr. Zheng's collection of lamps is more like a menagerie, with pieces shaped like monkeys, camels and horses taking pride of place. Look harder, and you will also see maids in imperial palaces, warriors and young boys and girls. The most precious pieces are several porcelain lanterns, mainly Yanyu lanterns or Changbei palace lanterns, which date back to the Han Dynasty about two thousand years ago.
Due to their age, the green glaze on the Changxin palace lanterns has begun to peel, but this has not diminished their shine. Some of the lanterns made in the Tang Dynasty, about one thousand years ago, resemble the Northern barbarian tribal peoples, while others from the Jin Dynasty about 1800 years ago combine the features of humans and camels. Mr. Zheng hopes what he is doing can help to better preserve traditional culture.
So far, Mr. Zheng has collected nearly 100 lamps, ranging from Han Dynasty pieces through lamps created only sixty years ago. Many of the lamps are very valuable as antiques, but their true worth lies in their ability to shed light on China's past. |
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