News

Christmas gifts with a flavour of the Orient

(24 November 2004)

Anyone looking for Christmas gifts that are out of the ordinary should head for the University of Durham’s Oriental Museum, which is holding its annual Oriental Bazaar on Saturday 27 November.

This promises to be a fun-filled day for all, with Chinese lion dancing, Arabic and traditional belly-dancing, Indonesian and Chinese music, Japanese flower arranging, storytelling, Chinese calligraphy in action, and martial arts to name but a few of the exciting events that will be taking place throughout the day.

At various points throughout the day, visitors can engage with Indian henna hand-painting, witness a Japanese tea ceremony, play mah-jong, learn about reflexology, and try on traditional Indian costume.

In addition, visitors will have the opportunity to peruse and purchase all manner of colourful and exotic Oriental gifts for all ages: bonsai trees; kimono; Iranian carpets; Chinese pearls and paper dragons; Indian textiles; Egyptian figurines; incense; cards; candles; and Chinese iron balls to single out a few.

The event takes place from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday 27th November at the Oriental Museum. Admission is free and all are welcome

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For more information contact: Kevin McLoughlin, Deputy Curator, on 0191 334 5694. Elvet Hill, Durham, DH1 3TH. Tel: 0191 334 5695 http://www.durham.ac.uk/oriental.museum

Notes to editors:

1. The Museum is on the south side of Durham, on Elvet Hill Off South Road, and is signposted from the A177.
2. Parking is available in the car park nearby. There are car parking spaces for disabled visitors outside the front door of the Museum. The Museum galleries re fully accessible.
3. The Oriental Museum is the only museum of its kind in the United Kingdom, entirely devoted to art and archaeology from cultures throughout the Orient.
4. The term Oriental is used as it was in the 19th century, to describe the civilisations of Asia and the Near East and the Islamic cultures of North Africa. The collections range from prehistoric Egypt and China to the work of living artists.
5. The Museum was founded in 1950 and opened to the public in 1960 in the present building, built with funds from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The Museum is part of the University of Durham and serves as a teaching and research resource used by the university staff and students as well as researchers and connoisseurs throughout the world. It is open to the public and its collections are available to all students in full-time higher education and researchers.