Guanfu Museum () is an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership and may be accessible to all or have restrictions in place. A ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. It was founded by Ma Weidu on 30 October 1996, and it was among the first private museums in the People's Republic of China. The Guanfu Museum is a non-profit organization and it has a qualification of Independent Legal Entity.

History

The museum was previously located on the

Liulichang Liulichang () is a district in downtown Beijing that is known for a series of traditional Chinese stone dwellings selling various craftwork, artistry, and antiques. It is one of Beijing's traditional old quarters. History The name ''Liulichang ...

Street, with mostly exhibits of ceramic, domestic furniture, jade, lacquer, metalwork, closionner enamel, classical window and door, and contemporary oil painting. The museum was then moved to Nanxiaojie Street and again to

Dashanzi Dashanzi (大山子, Hanyu Pinyin: Dàshānzi) is a 1 square kilometer area in the Chaoyang district of Beijing, northeast of the city center. It lies along the Airport Expressway between the 4th and 5th Ring Roads, south of the Dashanzi Qia ...

in 2004, where the museum is currently located.

Exhibition Halls

Ceramics Hall

The Ceramics Hall exhibits are masterpieces of antique

Chinese ceramics Chinese ceramics show a continuous development since pre-dynastic times and are one of the most significant forms of Chinese art and ceramics globally. The first pottery was made during the Palaeolithic era. Chinese ceramics range from construc ...

that span more than 1,000 years, between the

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

and

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

dynasties. Many of the porcelain items on display represent the most typical features of the fine ceramic of the Song dynasty, especially highlights the Five Famous Kilns, namely Ru kiln, Jun kiln, Guan kiln, Ge kiln and Ding kiln. Within this exhibition, the categories include

celadon ''Celadon'' () is a term for pottery denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware or "green ware" (the term specialists now tend to use), and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that was ...

, monochrome glaze and polychrome glaze, tri-colored pottery; under glaze cobalt-blue and under glaze copper red; famille-rose.

Furniture Hall

China has a long history of furniture-making. Furniture from the Ming and Qing periods in many ways represent the culmination of Chinese furniture-making skills, and they have various different features. Ming furniture features simple, smooth, and flowing lines, and plain and elegant ornamentation, fully bringing out the special qualities of frame-structure furniture. Influenced by China's burgeoning foreign trade and advanced craftsmanship techniques, furniture of the Qing Dynasty period turned to rich and intricate ornamentation, along with coordinated engraved designs. Because of the high level of development of Chinese furniture in the Ming and Qing dynasties, most Chinese furniture design today follows in the tradition from these two periods. The Furniture gallery in Guanfu Museum contains 6 smaller exhibiting halls and a special Chinese ancient study room, displaying over 500 pieces of furniture designed during the Ming and Qing periods.

Craftsmanship Hall

The traditional craftsmanship exhibition includes jade, gold and silver and copper artworks, cloisonne enamel, lacquer, and precious wood with the ancient technique of the 'hundred treasures inlay'. The room "Song Xi Cao Tang" restores the ancient scholar's studio.

Doors and Windows Hall

On the second floor there is an exhibition of finely carved doors and window frames. There is also new addition of a collection of oil paintings and sculptures by contemporary Chinese artists.

Ticketing

An adult ticket to this museum costs 100 RMB (available on the day of issue). Half-price ticket:50 RMB per person includes seniors (60 and over), students (except for postgraduate and PhD students), teachers, soldiers, the disabled and the staff in museum and heritage institution (Valid ID or certification is required). Free admission for children under 1.2m in height.

Group Tour

Group tour and English tour are available every day. Making reservation is recommended at least one day in advance.

Authentication

With prior appointment, the museum offers authentication with a price on objects such as ceramics and wood furniture. With extra fees, certificate can be provided on objects authenticated. The museum does not offer financial appraisal or evaluation.

Branches

The Guanfu Museum now has branches in

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...

and

Xiamen Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...

, with branches planned in Ha'erbin, and

Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...

Gallery

File:Guan Fu Exhibit 1.jpg, A statue of Buddha File:Guan Fu Exhibit 2.jpg, Sculpture of Bodhisattva File:Guan Fu Exhibit 3.jpg, A display of furniture File:Guan Fu Exhibit 4.jpg, Display of furniture

References

{{commons category, Guanfu Museum Art museums and galleries in China Museums in Beijing 1996 establishments in China Museums established in 1996