Tending the Afterlife: Chinese Tomb Art from the Neolithic Period to the Ming Dynasty

Saturday, September 27, 2008 - Monday, August 17, 2009

This exhibition showcases a spectacular selection of objects from the permanent collection of the Crow Collection of Asian Art and works on loan from the Collection of Penn and Margarida Williamson in Houston and the Collection of John L. and Rosemarie in San Antonio. Covering almost six millennia of Chinese visual culture—from the Neolithic period (c. 10,000 B.C.–c.1600 B.C.) to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644)—these objects represent the artistic creativity and technical virtuosity achieved by the Chinese artisans. Being included in tombs as burial furnishings, these objects would ensure that, in another world, the soul of the deceased could continue to possess the wealth, power, and religious tranquility enjoyed in his or her previous life.