Shanghai Museum

02/09/2026

On September 1, The Shanghai Museum unveiled discoveries from excavations at the Temple of Sekhmet, conducted in collaboration with Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. The first systematic excavation there since 1962, the project sheds new light on the history of Memphis.

02/09/2026

01/09/2026

This gold-hilted iron sword measures 37.8 cm in length and was excavated from a Qin tomb in Baoji, Shaanxi. Its iron blade—rare for the period—combined with a finely worked gold hilt, offers significant insight into early ferrous metallurgy and luxury material culture in pre-imperial China.

at — this is your final week. ⏰

31/08/2026

Last Saturday marks the final Zooseum Night of ！In collaboration with the Shanghai Zoo, animals from the Americas took over the museum. Check out the cutie cams!

30/08/2026

Literati gatherings often featured tea, poetry, and music. But this Ming dynasty gathering, depicted by Chen Hongshou, stands out for the Buddhist statue at its center, showing the devout faith of the commissioner’s grandfather, one of those portrayed.


明 陈洪绶 雅集图卷

29/08/2026

This oracle bone from the Western Zhou dynasty bears the earliest known inscription of “Qin Ren”—the Qin people, who would later rise to unify China. Now on view at , it stands as a silent witness to one of China’s most legendary history.

“秦人”卜甲

28/08/2026

This jade “cong” from Liangzhu (5400–4300 BP) reveals an ancient riddle.

Square outside, round inside—a cosmic vessel. A divine figure towers over a beast mask, flanked by flying birds—envoys between heaven and earth. This emblem signified sovereignty, kingship, and thearchy, reserved for elites.

Craftsmen carved 2–3 lines per millimeter using only bamboo, stone, and sand—an unimaginable feat! The cong evolved from bracelet to multi-section "mobile temples," honoring ancestors. It embodies "Harmony between Heaven and Man," the core of Chinese culture. These eyes witnessed a civilization's peak. Today, they still gaze across 5,000 years, inviting us into the mystical world of Liangzhu.

A masterpiece of prehistoric artistry and spiritual power. 🏺✨

28/08/2026

Chrysanthemums and goji branches fill an ancient bronze vessel in this Qing-dynasty work, combining Cheng Shouqian’s full-form rubbing with flowers added by Zhao Zhiqian—a wish for longevity through flowers and antiquity.

清 赵之谦、程守谦杞菊延年图轴

27/08/2026

With its long tail stretching behind and its beak held high, this little bird is brought to life through restrained carving strokes. Dating back more than 4000 years to the Liangzhu Culture, this jade ornament reflects our ancestors' enduring affection for birds.🐤


鸟形玉饰

26/08/2026

Ink meets porcelain.
This Qing dynasty brush holder from Jingdezhen is painted in mocai — overglaze black enamel — with a continuous landscape of mountains and trees, evoking the spirit of traditional ink painting. So admired was this effect that the Yongzheng emperor himself encouraged more porcelain to be made in this “ink-painting” style.

清 景德镇窑墨彩山水图笔筒
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