Related links to the exhibition on view from March 5, 2005 through June 26, 2005

Recarving China’s Past presents a new investigation into the architectural, iconographic, and stylistic interrelationships of the structures and reliefs on the "Wu family shrines" cemetery complex. Traditionally, the mortuary structures’ pictorial imagery has been thought to represent stone carving of the Han dynasty. Signs of recarving, anachronisms, and problems in the text sources associated with the "Wu family shrines", however, indicate that some of the carvings and many of the inscriptions may have been added or redone years after the cemetery complex was built altered to reflect current ideas and attitudes about the Eastern Han era. Discoveries of tombs at the “Wu family shrines,” particularly in the last five years, have inspired further research and intense art-historical debate. Overall, the exhibition and catalogue explore how and why the “Wu family shrines” have been reinterpreted over millennia, and what impact the current reassessment of these shrines will have on the study of Han art and culture.

Recarving China's Past: Art, Architecture, and Archaeology of the "Wu Family Shrines" Symposium
April 30 - May 1, 2005

Explore the "Wu Family Shrines"
Interactive virtual reality tour of the "Wu Family Shrines" cemetery site developed by Anthony Barbieri-Low, professor at the University of Pittsburgh, to give the viewer a sense of how this archaeological site in Shandong Province may have looked during the Han dynasty, around 150-170 CE. The user can investigate each of the key monuments, read translations of the major inscriptions, and examine the pictorial carvings in the three reconstructed stone chambers at the site. Links to high-quality rubbings of the carvings and summaries of the stories and legends they allude to will help the user comprehend the visual world of a funerary complex from the second century in northeast China.

Purchase the Catalogue of the Exhibition
Purchase the Publication of Recarving China's Past: Art, Architecture, and Archaeology of the "Wu Family Shrines"

Exhibition Handout
A PDF file of the handout for the exhibition

Map of Shandong Region Han Dynasty Archaeology Sites
A PDF file of the Shandong map

Museum's Calendar of Events
A link to the museum's calendar of events page.

Companion Events at the China Institute
Exhibition: Providing for the Afterlife: "Brilliant Artifacts" from Shandong
February 3 - June 4, 2005
Symposium: The Afterlife: "Brilliant Artifacts"
April 17, 2005