From China to Tuscany

FLORENCE—“China: At the Court of the Emperors. Unknown masterpieces from Han tradition to Tang elegance (25–907)” gathers more than 200 objects—many never before seen in the West—in a striking exhibition on view through June 8 at the Palazzo Strozzi, in Florence, Italy. Among the earliest pieces on display is a carved-stone statue of a fierce mythical beast. Dating to the 3rd century, this work long stood guard over a nobleman’s grave. But the stars of the show are the Tang examples. One, a delicate silver lotus-flower decoration, excavated in 1988 from the pagoda of the Famen Monastery, near present-day Xi’an, in north central China, appears strikingly contemporary although it dates to the ninth century.

"From China to Tuscany" originally appeared in the April 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's April 2008 Table of Contents.