The Chimei Museum () is a private museum established in 1992 by Shi Wen-long of

Chi Mei Corporation CHIMEI Corporation (; CMC) is a Taiwan-based performance materials company. It has long been known as the world’s largest vendor of ABS resins. It has factories in Tainan, Zhenjiang and Zhangzhou. It also produces advanced polymer materials, syn ...

Rende District Rende District () is a rural district in southern Tainan, Taiwan. History After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Rende was organized as a rural township of Tainan County. On 25 December 2010, Tainan County ...

Tainan Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of his ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...

. The museum's collection is divided into five categories:

Fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

s (including painting, sculpture, decorative arts and period furniture);

Musical instruments A musical instrument is a device created or adapted to make musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can be considered a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. A person who pl ...

; Natural history and fossils; Arms and

armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or f ...

;

Antiquities Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures. Artifacts from earlier periods such as the Meso ...

and artifacts. The museum is known for housing the world's largest

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

collection and for its significant collections of ancient weapons and sculptures.

Forbes magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...

, in its February 1996 article on private collectors in Asia, called the Chimei Museum "one of the world's most surprising art collections." The museum moved to its current venue on Wenhua Road in 2014, and it is open to the public except on designated days.

Background

The museum was first established and housed in an administration building of the Chi Mei Corporation in 1992 by the company's founder Shi Wen-long, then relocated to the Tainan Metropolitan Park in 2014, and reopened in 2015. Shi is known for his collection of antique

s housed in the museum. Besides being an entrepreneur, Shi is also an amateur violinist who has performed in public many times. To improve the level of

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" al ...

and western art in Taiwan, he founded the Chi Mei Culture Foundation in 1977 and has been providing scholarships through the Chimei Arts Award to developing artists in both classical music and fine arts since 1988. Born in 1928 during wartime to a family of 10 children, Shi found escape at a "small local museum in Tainan." He later founded Chi Mei Museum in 1992 with the idea of building a museum for all, especially the underprivileged and those "who don't have a chance to travel and see museums abroad."

Building

The museum was designed by architect Tsai Yi-cheng based on a design brief that it inspire a cultural renaissance by incorporating the best of western culture. Because of this the museum has a large number of

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s, and

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression (physical), compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column i ...

s. It is energy efficient and has a LEED Silver rating. The museum’s main building cost NT$2 billion to build. The museum has a complete

luthier A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...

’s workshop to support the instrument collection.

Exhibitions

The museum has several exhibition areas, including

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...

s, natural history and

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s, arms and armour, musical instruments, and sculptures. The museum has a collection of European paintings from the 13th to the 20th century, presenting the development of western art. The historic weapon exhibition presents weapons from prehistoric time, the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...

to modern times. The collection features few artifacts from Taiwan or areas close to it as the main idea of the collection is to allow Taiwanese people to see

artwork A work of art, artwork, art piece, piece of art or art object is an artistic creation of aesthetic value. Except for "work of art", which may be used of any work regarded as art in its widest sense, including works from literature ...

and pieces that they otherwise would have to travel a long way and spend a lot of money to see. The museum’s founder grew up disadvantaged and wants to ensure that local children can be inspired by global culture even if their families do not have the resources to travel extensively.

Musical instruments

The museum collects musical instruments of historical significance, in particular violins and other string instruments by

Antonio Stradivari Antonio Stradivari (, also , ; – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and a craftsman of string instruments such as violins, cellos, guitars, violas and harps. The Latinized form of his surname, '' Stradivarius'', as well as the collo ...

, Guarneri del Gesù,

Jacob Stainer Jacob Stainer (–1683) was the earliest and best known Austrian and Germanic luthier. His violins were sought after by famous 17th- and 18th-century musicians and composers including Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and . Stainer ...

Amati Amati (, ) is the last name of a family of Italian violin makers who lived at Cremona from about 1538 to 1740. Their importance is considered equal to those of the Bergonzi, Guarneri, and Stradivari families. Today, violins created by Nicolò ...

, Rogeri, Joseph Guarneri Filius Andrea,

Vincenzo Rugeri Vincenzo Rugeri (30 September 1663 – 4 May 1719) (also known as Ruger, Rugier, Rugieri, Ruggeri, Ruggieri, Ruggerius), was an Italian luthier of string instruments such as violins, cellos, and, violas in Cremona, Italy. His instruments are note ...

, Seraphin, Gagliano,

Guadagnini Giovanni Battista Guadagnini (often shortened to G. B. Guadagnini; 23 June 1711 – 18 September 1786) was an Italian luthier, regarded as one of the finest craftsmen of string instruments in history. Reprint with new introduction by Stewart Pol ...

and other famous artisans. The collection is noted for the Guarneri del Gesù "

Ole Bull Ole Bornemann Bull (; 5 February 181017 August 1880) was a Norwegian virtuoso violinist and composer. According to Robert Schumann, he was on a level with Niccolò Paganini for the speed and clarity of his playing. Biography Background Bull ...

" violin of 1744, which is believed to be the last work of the famed artisan. As of 2019, the museum houses more than 1,370 violins and has allowed more than 3,000 violinists to borrow from the collection, with more than 220 violins out on loan. The museum loans the antique instruments to distinguished musicians free of charge. In 1999,

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma ('' Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

borrowed the '' Pawle Stradivarius'' cello for a concert in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

. In 2015, Yu-Chien Tseng won the silver prize (no gold prize was awarded) at the 15th

International Tchaikovsky Competition The International Tchaikovsky Competition is a classical music competition held every four years in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Russia, for pianists, violinists, and cellists between 16 and 32 years of age and singers between 19 and 32 years of ...

with the '' Castelbarco-Tarisio Guarnerius'' violin from the museum. As of 2021 the collection was the world’s largest.

Artworks

* The Madonna of Humility -

Paolo di Giovanni Fei Paolo di Giovanni Fei (c. 1345 – c. 1411) was a painter of the Sienese school. He came to Siena from San Quirico, , held public positions in Siena from 1369 and was first mentioned in the Sienese register of painters in 1389. His earliest si ...

(Italy, 1345-1411) * Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me -

Lucas Cranach the Younger Lucas Cranach the Younger (german: Lucas Cranach der Jüngere ; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance painter and portraitist, the son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and brother of Hans Cranach. Life and career Lucas Cranach ...

(Germany, 1515–1586) * Saint Martin and the Beggar -

El Greco Domḗnikos Theotokópoulos ( el, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος ; 1 October 1541 7 April 1614), most widely known as El Greco ("The Greek"), was a Greek painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El ...

(Spain, 1540/50-1614) * Charity -

Jacques Blanchard Jacques Blanchard (1600–1638), also known as Jacques Blanchart, was a French baroque painter who was born in Paris. He was raised and taught by his uncle, the painter (ca. 1560–1630). Jacques’s brother and son, Jean-Baptiste Blanchard ...

(France, 1630-1638) * The Last Tears - Narcisse Virgilio Díaz de la Peña (France, 1807–1876) * Charity -

Friedrich von Amerling Friedrich von Amerling (14 April 1803 – 14 January 1887) was an Austro-Hungarian portrait painter in the court of Franz Josef. He was born in Vienna and was court painter between 1835 and 1880. With Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller he is one of ...

(Austria, 1803-1887) * The Blessing of the Wheat - Jules Breton (France 1827-1906) Image:PierreaugustcotUU2.jpg,

Pierre Auguste Cot Pierre Auguste Cot (; 17 February 1837 – 2 August 1883) was a French painter of the Academic Classicism school. Life and career Cot was born in Bédarieux, Hérault, and initially studied at l'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Toulouse before going t ...

''Dionysia'' (1870) File:Seignac Guillaume the awakening of Psyche.JPG, Guillaume Seignac The Awakening of Psyche File:Gustave Caillebotte - La femme à la rose.jpg,

Gustave Caillebotte Gustave Caillebotte (; 19 August 1848 – 21 February 1894) was a French painter who was a member and patron of the Impressionists, although he painted in a more realistic manner than many others in the group. Caillebotte was known for his early ...

La femme à la rose File:Four Allegories of Music 1871-1873 Hans Makart.jpg,

Hans Makart Hans Makart (28 May 1840 – 3 October 1884) was a 19th-century Austrian academic history painter, designer, and decorator. Makart was a prolific painter whose ideas significantly influenced the development of visual art in Austria-Hungary, Ger ...

Four Allegories of Music (1871-1873) File:Edouard Dantan A Casting from Life.jpg, Édouard Joseph Dantan A Casting from Life File:Adriaen Coorte - Still life with a spray of gooseberries.jpg,

Adriaen Coorte Adriaen Coorte (ca. 1665 – after 1707) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of still lifes, who signed works between 1683 and 1707. He painted small and unpretentious still lifes in a style more typical of the first half of the century, and was "on ...

Still life with a spray of gooseberries File:Michel Martin Drolling - Portrait d'un artiste.jpg,

Michel Martin Drolling Michel Martin Drolling (7 March 1786 – 9 January 1851) was a neoclassic French painter, painter of history and portraitist. Biography He was born in Paris. There, he began painting under the supervision of his father, the painter Martin Dr ...

Portrait d'un artiste

Reproductions from the museum

The museum has offered reproductions such as canvas posters, simulating sculptures made from bonded marble powder, stationery items and many classic CD recordings performed by top Taiwanese musicians on the rare instruments from the Chi Mei Collection since 1997. The museum has also published the hardcover book "Chi-Mei Collection of Fine Violins" featuring 15 world-famous string instruments made by the Italian violin makers of the 17th century. Through the Shining Collection in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, one can inquire about and purchase these reproductions. A replica of Bassin d'Apollo greets the visitors at the museum entrance. The same-scale replica was unveiled in 2014. The museum commissioned French artist Gills Perrault in 2008 to reproduce the Fountain of Apollo, same as the one in

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

. It took three years for modern laser measuring and the plaster mold to be made in France for the reproduction sculpture, and another three years to carve the marbles in the city of

Carrara Carrara ( , ; , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, in central Italy, of the province of Massa and Carrara, and notable for the white or blue-grey marble quarried there. It is on the Carrione River, some west-northwest of Florence. Its mot ...

, Italy.

Location and Hours

The museum address is: No. 66, Section 2, Wenhua Rd., Rende District, Tainan, Taiwan. The museum is open to the public from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, and it is closed on Wednesdays and other designated days.

Transportation

The museum is accessible within walking distance from Bao'an Station of the Taiwan Railways.

References

External links

Official Website

Museum Virtual Tour
*
Chimei Culture Foundation, from passion to museum
{{authority control 1997 establishments in Taiwan Art museums and galleries in Taiwan Decorative arts museums Museums established in 1997 Museums in Tainan Music museums Musical instrument museums Music organizations based in Taiwan