Ancient China meets Roman Empire

(ANSA) - Rome, March 27 - A new exhibition at Trajan's Market titled "Immortal Dead: Treasures from Sichuan in Ancient China", curated by the museum's deputy director, archaeologist Jinsha Wang Fang, opened Tuesday and will run through October 18.
    The exhibition arrives in Rome following a run in Naples at the National Archaeological Museum, and contains 130 artifacts, to which 15 additional loans will be added when they arrive from China in May.
    The show is a grand display of the myths of Chinese archaeology through the lens of the Sichuan civilisation, which developed along the Min River, colloquially known as the Blue River.
    Comprised of digital reconstructions, photos, videos, and interactive tools, the exhibition allows visitors to explore artifacts from the Sanxingdui and Jinsha archaeological sites from eight Chinese musuems, amidst the backdrop of the ancient Roman site of Trajan's Market, highlighting connections between ancient China and Imperial Rome.
    Artifacts on display include objects in bronze, gold, jade, and terracotta from the 2nd millennium B.C. to the 2nd century A.C., such as ritual statues and vases, masks, daggers, and scepters.
    The use of jade shows the refined craftsmanship of the Han Dynasty.
    There are also lacquered-wood containers and portraits on brick, all of which make up an exhibition that abounds with enigmas and symbolism to give visitors a unique look at the culture of the Shu population.
    Rome Deputy Mayor Luca Bergamo said the exhibition "strengthens relations between the two countries following the presidential visit" of China's president Xi Jiping last week.
    Bergamo said the location of the exhibition emphasises "parallel paths between our culture and that of the Chinese".
    Wang Yi, director-general of the Sichuan province office of cultural heritage, said the show is "the first that testifies to the accord between Italy and China".
    He said the works on display "come from a province, Sichuan, that has a population of 80 million people who, thanks to the new air routes available to Rome, will now be able to travel more easily".