The wisdom in the wood

The screen is among the highlights of Knowing Realm, Exploring Origins: Ming and Qing Furniture Culture and Art Exhibition, running until Nov 15 at the Tsinghua University Art Museum. The exhibition brings together more than 100 outstanding examples of furniture from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Their elegant silhouettes and refined craftsmanship continue to command admiration today. Yet, the exhibition looks beyond their sophisticated structures, diverse materials and technical mastery to explore the cultural values embedded in everyday furnishings.

Lu Xiaobo, director of the Tsinghua University Art Museum, says a museum's role is not only to preserve valuable objects handed down through generations, but also to revive traditions and bring them into contemporary life through research, exhibitions and interpretation.