On March 7, 2024, China National Silk Museum held an opening ceremony for the “Special Exhibition of Ritual Utensils, Musical Instruments and Costumes of the Kong (Confucius) Family Mansion”. A music feast was brought by the Xiaoshao Music Troupe of the Confucius Museum during the “Night of Rituals and Music”. They played with dozens of musical instruments such as sets of bells, chime stones, qin, se and chi, which were restored with reference to excavated musical instruments and artifacts. The performance included pieces such as “The Book of Poetry”, “Autumn Thoughts on the Dressing Table”, “Phoenix Seeking His Mate”, and “A Moonlit Night on the Spring River”, as well as dances from ancient rituals.
Confucius was a renowned philosopher, politician and educator in ancient China who promoted the rich traditions of ritual and music from the pre-Qin Period. Chinese emperors revered him as the “Sacred Model Teacher for Ten Thousand Generations”. His system of belief involving philosophy, politics and ethics (subsequently known as Confucianism) has exerted a profound influence on Chinese culture, including sartorial etiquette.
The Confucius Museum, located in his birthplace, Qufu City of Shandong Province, China, houses artifacts from the Confucius Mansion (also known as the Kong Family Mansion), which houses the male direct descendants of Confucius. It has a leading collection of over 100,000 items, including the ten ceremonial utensils of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Within this remarkable collection, the series of Confucius portraits crafted over various historical periods, and the authentic Ming and Qing dynasty garments and headwear stand out as particularly renowned treasures.
To celebrate the legacy of Confucian virtues, the sophistication of ancient ceremonial practices, and the splendor of traditional Chinese fashion, the China National Silk Museum and Confucius Museum are collaborating to present an exhibition in Hangzhou. The exhibition will feature nearly a hundred ceremonial instruments used in Confucius worship, originating from the Confucius Mansion collection, as well as Ming, Qing, and Republic-period garments and headpieces passed down through Confucius’ lineage. The exhibition will last until May 26, 2024, and several events will be held during this period.
