China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta

The lush green landscapes, picturesque rivers and lakes of the southern province of Jiangnan have provided Chinese artists and poets with inspiration for centuries. Spanning the Neolithic period to the 18th century, this exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art brings together more than 200 objects from the region to reveal how Jiangnan became a hub of artistic production (10 September–7 January 2024). Ranging from jade, silk, prints and paintings to porcelain, lacquerwork and bamboo carvings, the show includes major loans from institutions and private collections in China, Europe and Japan. Highlights include an 82-foot-long scroll recording the route taken for the Kangxi Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour of 1689, on loan from the University of Alberta Art Museums. Find out more on the Cleveland’s website.

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Raft Cup (1345), attributed to Zhu Bishan. Cleveland Museum of Art

Reclining Water Buffalo (c. 1600s–1700s), Qing Dynasty. Private Collection

Magpies (c. 1735–50), Qing Dynasty. Private Collection

Elegant Gathering of Five Suzhou Natives (Ming Dynasty), China. Shanghai Museum