Exhibition in Pudong showcases citizen collections

A preview display of exhibits entered in the second Shanghai Citizen Collection Exhibition's semi-finals is being shown at the Pudong History Museum.

Through November 5, 162 young collectors' selected collections will be on public display at the Pudong History Museum, Yunzhou Antique City, and Minhang's Shanghai-style Art Museum.

The Pudong History Museum's preview, which is open to the public for free, will run through November 5 with collections from 71 local collectors, whose average age is less than 40 years old.

It is also the first exhibition jointly organized by the Pudong History Museum and the Shanghai Collection Association after they signed a contract to establish the association's Pudong activity center.

In the future, the two organizations will work together to bring more information on collecting to the public as well as various exhibitions and activities.

Credit: Ti Gong

The majority of the collections that passed the preliminary evaluation are general, such as ancient furniture, study utensils, jades from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, agarwood products, dark-red enameled pottery, and old musical instruments.

Among the contemporary collections are many that will be familiar to those born in the 1980s and 1990s from their childhoods, such as Nintendo game consoles, NBA star cards, Coca-Cola series collections, tapes, and CDs.

There are also some special collections such as herbarium paintings, shellcraft, and 3D cigarette box labels.

This competition has added a new category of overseas items. The oldest is a London sterling silver antique bread basket made in 1837.

They also received hundreds of antique picture frames from France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom from the 19th and 20th centuries, and jewellery collected from European flea markets and antique shops.

Following are five highlights of the exhibition:

Credit: Ti Gong

Credit: Ti Gong

1. Antique chopsticks

At the exhibition, you can see silver and ivory chopsticks awarded to soldiers during the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

There is also tableware used by ethnic minorities, such as a 12-piece tableware set used by Mongolian princes in the past. The container is wrapped in shark skin and includes chopsticks, knife, spoon, tiny cups and plates, forks, and toothpicks.

Credit: Ti Gong

Credit: Ti Gong

2. Special chopsticks

Both the largest and the smallest chopsticks are on display. The largest chopsticks come from Hunan and measure 57 centimeters long. The smallest chopsticks are ancient silver ornaments and are only about two centimeters long.

Credit: Ti Gong

3. Special Merit Medal

This medal was awarded by He Long, commander of the Southern Hebei Military Command in 1945. It is shaped as a five-pointed star, with a bright red background on the front, and the golden words "Special Merit" protrude in the middle.

The medal has a history of more than 70 years.

Credit: Ti Gong

4. Anti-Japanese War commemorative medal

The commemorative medal of the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was awarded in the name of Yang Jingyu, commander of the Northeast Democratic Alliance Army in 1947.

In 1947, the Northeast Democratic Allied Forces led by the Communist Party of China issued commemorative medals in limited quantities within the liberated areas, in the name of General Yang Jingyu to commemorate him.

It also has a history of more than 70 years.

Credit: Ti Gong

5. Shanghai-brand watches

There are Shanghai-brand watches made from the 1950s to the 1980s, the period of China's planned economy and self-reliance in light industrial products.

Among them are the earliest models, including a type that once worn by late Premier Zhou Enlai.

Credit: Ti Gong

Credit: Ti Gong