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What collections can visitors see at the Shanghai Museum?
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Shanghai
Skyline of Shanghai, China.
The Shanghai Museum houses approximately 120,000 objects, organized into 11 principal galleries that display items in chronological order. Visitors can explore a wide range of artifacts, including:1
- Bronzes and Sculptures: A significant collection of ancient bronze weapons, cauldrons, and utensils, alongside life-size terra-cotta statues of a horse and two warriors from the tomb of the Qin emperor Shihuangdi.1
- Ceramics: A vast array of pottery ranging from the Neolithic era—such as Longshan Black Pottery—to the present, including fine blue-and-white Ming vases and Tang dynasty pieces.1
- Fine Arts and Crafts: Collections of jades, seals, numismatics, and furniture from the Ming and Qing dynasties, as well as arts and crafts created by China’s minority ethnic groups.1
- Calligraphy and Painting: Various scrolls and tools used in the arts of painting and calligraphy, spanning the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.1
The museum's architecture itself is designed to reflect the ancient Chinese concept of tianyuan difang, or "round sky, square earth".1