Carriers of history and tradition

The Met and Shanghai Museum unite to celebrate Chinese bronzes from across the ages, Mingmei Li reports in New York.

Forged from the same material yet shaped by different eras, the artifacts converge in a dialogue across millennia. From important bronzes to a selection of paintings, calligraphy, ceramics, lacquer and jade, the artifacts, though nearly 1,000 years old, are themselves tributes to even older masterpieces.

These fugu (return to the past) bronzes tell a story of tradition and innovation that spans the Song (960-1279), Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, as well as of the enduring global exchange and appreciation of bronze artistry.

In collaboration with the Shanghai Museum, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art's new exhibition, Recasting the Past: The Art of Chinese Bronzes, 1100-1900, is a record of the evolving artistry of Chinese bronze from the 12th to the 19th centuries. It weaves a narrative of craftsmanship, tradition and innovation, bringing to life the eternal elegance of these masterworks.

The ongoing exhibition kicked off last month. It will run until September before leaving for the Shanghai Museum, where it will continue from November until March 2026.