News
Stolen museum objects recovered
(April 2012)
The police have recovered the two objects stolen from the Oriental Museum on 5th April.
The artefacts were recovered by the police on Friday 13th April from a field in the Brandon area, a few miles to the south-west of Durham city. Both items have been examined by experts from Durham University who have confirmed that they are in excellent condition, with no apparenty damage resulting from their removal from the museum.
The police thanked the public for responding to appeals for reports of suspicious activity in and around the Durham city area at the time of the incident. The investigation into the theft is ongoing.
Oriental Museum to reopen on Monday 16 April
(April 2012)
The Oriental Museum will reopen on Monday 16 April at 10am after being temporarily closed following a break-in when two ancient Chinese artefacts were stolen.
The museum has been temporarily closed to the public following the theft earlier this month (April 5).
Damage caused during the burglary has been repaired and the Oriental Museum will reopen its doors to the public on Monday.
In announcing the reopening of the museum the University has renewed its appeal for the return of the stolen artefacts.
It has also reaffirmed its commitment to making its collections available for public display and scholarly use.
On the night of Thursday, April 5, thieves broke into the Malcolm MacDonald Gallery on the Oriental Museum's ground floor, taking with them a large jade bowl and a porcelain sculpture which have not been recovered.
Both the artefacts, with a combined value of more than £2million, were from the Qing Dynasty, the last imperial dynasty in China.
They included a large green jade bowl, dating from 1769, from the collection of Sir Charles Hardinge, a British collector of jades and hardstones. A Chinese poem is written inside.
The thieves also took a Dehua porcelain sculpture with a cream white glaze of seven fairies in a boat, which is 30cm in both height and length.
The University is working with the police on their enquiries. The University can confirm that security measures are under constant review, but will not comment on specific security arrangements.
As well as housing some of the finest collections in Britain, the Oriental Museum also runs an on-going programme of outreach and cultural activities for the public.
The University also runs a number of other attractions in Durham City including the Wolfson Gallery at Palace Green Library, which is home to the Treasures of Durham University exhibition, The Old Fulling Mill Museum of Archaeology and The Botanic Garden.
Dr Craig Barclay, the Oriental Museum's Curator, said: "A key part of the University's role is to educate and inform and one of the ways we do this is by making our collections available for public display across our museums and galleries.
"Despite the terrible loss of these two artefacts, the University remains committed to ensuring public access to its collections and it is important that we are able to reopen the museum to the public as soon as we possibly can.
"I would like to thank museum and wider University staff for the professional way they have handled this situation and also thank Durham Police for the hard work they are putting into their investigation.
"We very much hope that police will be able to recover the stolen artefacts and we urge anybody who may have any information about their whereabouts to contact the police immediately."
Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Durham Police on 101 or via Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Oriental Museum achieves national award
(March 2012)
The Oriental Museum has won a national award for its commitment to listen and act upon the views of young people. The Bronze Hear by Right Award has been presented by the National Youth Agency.
The award was launched in 2010 to provide organisations that put young people's voices at the heart of service delivery and development with the opportunity to gain national recognition for their achievements.
The award is evaluated at three levels - Bronze, Silver and Gold - and the Oriental Museum has achieved recognition at Bronze level.
Craig Barclay, Curator of the Oriental Museum, said: "We are delighted to have achieved this award which reflects the fantastic work of our staff in engaging with young people of the region. Through our Stories of the World project, students from various local schools are able to design their own exhibitions and have been given unparalleled access to museum objects. This has benefited not only the students, but the museum as a whole."
During the project students have been trained in object handling, have designed and installed their own exhibitions, given their own guided tours around the museum and designed a children's trail. For the current exhibition 'Manga: Made in Japan' they have even produced their own Japanese Manga art. The project continues during 2012.
Student Rachel Smith said: "I have been able to make an impact on the exhibition, which has helped me feel valuable to the museum and also the Stories of the World project."
The Japanese gallery will be completely refurbished
Museum wins funding for new Japan and Korea galleries
(February 2012)
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has announced that the Oriental Museum will be one of 36 museums from across the UK to receive funding from the DCMS/Wolfson Foundation Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.
The grant, totally more than £80,000 will be used to help fund the next phase of the museum's redevelopment programme - new galleries dedicated to Japan and Korea.
The museum's Japanese collections are very rich and diverse. Most of the collection dates from the Edo Period (1603-1868 CE) and Meiji Era (1868-1912 CE) but there are also important pieces which date to earlier periods. The strengths of the collection include Edo Period ukiyo-e (floating world) woodblock prints, early photography, weaponry, ivory carvings and ceramics.
The Korean collection is much smaller, numbering only just over 300 objects and as a consequence the Oriental Museum has never had a Korean gallery. Despite its small size, this collection includes a wide range of objects from musical instruments to textiles, coins, weapons, ceramics and furniture. Some objects date back as far as the Koryo Period (935-1392 CE) while the collection also includes an important collection of 20th century objects collected by the Right Reverend Richard Rutt, an Anglican cleric, who worked in Korea for many years.
In recent years the Japanese collections have become increasingly popular with schools as a topic for art. The GCSE curriculum now includes study of a 'non-Western art tradition' and many schools opt to look at Japan and particularly the development of Manga (modern Japanese comics) from the artistic story-telling tradition of woodblock prints and early Japanese storytelling scrolls. The Oriental Museum has recently obtained funding from the ArtFund to create a new collection of contemporary Japanese art. This grant will allow the museum to purchase new contemporary material that can also be included in the new gallery.
Planning and research for the galleries is now underway. Building work will commence in the galleries in January 2013 with the aim of opening the new displays in autumn 2013.
'Apple' by Li Lihong
New Chinese gallery now open
(November 2011)
On 11th November the Oriental Museum opened a brand new gallery devoted to the museum's internationally important collections of Chinese art and archaeology.
The creation of the new gallery is the culimination of two years of intensive research into the museum's collections. Chinese art-historian Xiaoxin Li has re-examined thousands of objects and re-evaluated their importance. Craig Barclay, the museum's curator said, 'New archaeological finds are being made all the time in China that are reshaping our understanding of the history of China. There is also a huge amount of new research being undertaken on Chinese art in China itself, as well as across the world. Xiaoxin's work has enabled us to reconsider and redisplay our wonderful collections in the light of this new understanding.'
The gallery features ceramics, ancient jades, bronzes, and works on paper. At the heart of the gallery is a new display of Chinese ceramics covering more than 5000 years of history, from the Neolithic Period to the present day. The skill of Chinese potters and the extraordinary beauty of their creations has been recognised throughout history. This new gallery will give museums goers in the North-East a unique opportunity to enjoy and learn more about these beautiful artworks.
artwork from anime TV series UFO Baby
Durham's Oriental Museum secures funding boost for Japanese collection
(September 2011)
Durham University's Oriental Museum is to boost its collections of Japanese art thanks to a grant from the Art Fund RENEW scheme.
In the face of fierce competition from museums and galleries across the UK, the Oriental Museum was one of just five successful RENEW projects, securing £50,000. The money will be used to develop a new collection of material, Made in Japan, relating to and reflecting contemporary Japanese popular culture.
The new collection will include manga and anime, fashion and costumes, and cutting-edge design, as well as contemporary ceramics and prints.
The image shown here is original artwork from the Japanese anime TV series UFO Baby purchased by the Oriental Museum in 2010 to support art teaching at GCSE and A-level. The new collection will build on this and other recent purchases to greatly expand the potential to support students at all levels studying contemporary Japanese art. The Oriental Museum will be working with Durham University's School of Education, students fromTeikyo University of Japan in Durham and other external partners to build the collection of work over the coming year.
RENEW aims to build future centres of excellence by supporting fresh areas of collecting. The initiative is part of the Art Fund's commitment to increase funding to museums and galleries by over 50% by 2014. For more information see the Art Fund website.
New Wolfson Gallery of Ancient Egypt
The new Wolfson Gallery of Ancient Egypt opened on Saturday 23rd July 2011.
The gallery has been designed with children in mind, both families and the thousands of school children who visit the museum each year to learn about Ancient Egypt. Children will be able to dress up as Ancient Egyptians or have a go at playing a giant version of the Egyptian game senet. There are drawers to open and displays at lower levels to make it easier for smaller visitors to see the objects.
The gallery is not just for children. The Oriental Museum has by far the largest, and finest, Ancient Egyptian collection in the North East and opening this gallery triples the number of objects on public display. Visitors can see objects ranging from exquisite jewellery to pieces of ancient bread, preserved in a tomb for more than 2000 years.
Teachers can now make bookings for the new gallery for sessions from September 2011 onwards. For more information, see the 4 schools website.
Exhibited for the first time outside London, contemporary woodcut prints
Durham University's Oriental Museum is opening an exhibition of contemporary Chinese woodcut prints on Saturday 11th June 2011. The museum will be the first museum in the North of England to display these prints, assembled by the Muban Foundation, and never before exhibited outside of London.
Discover the diverse nature of China through an exploration of Chinese people, landscapes and traditions, represented within a range of contemporary woodcut prints.
The exhibition has been created by Durham University students studying for an MA in Museum Studies. Team leader Stephanie Marsden said 'China is not a monoculture but a multicultural nation, whose landscape, people, and traditions constitute a diverse and fascinating society. We hope that through this exhibition of woodcut prints visitors can begin to explore Chinese culture and challenge their own ideas'.
Diverse Impressions runs until 18th September 2011 (June 2011)
Qing dynasty rank badge from new gallery
New Chinese gallery now open
A new permanent gallery, showcasing the museum's important Chinese collections is now open to the public. Marvels of China aims to introduce visitors to the wonders of this ancient culture. Accessible displays, designed with families and younger visitors in mind, cover topics ranging from festivals to families, silk to scholars.
The Oriental Museum is home to one of the UK's most important Chinese collections. Objects range in date from the Neolithic Period to the modern day and include ivory, lacquerware, jade, bronzes, silk and ceramics. The centrepiece of new displays is the museum's impressive Chinese bed. Created in the 1840's for English trader Lancelot Dent, the bed is a liang chuang or 'cool bed' designed for use in the hot climate of southern China. The bed would have been hung with light weight curtains to allow air flow but keep out insects. The Museum has worked with the Embroiderers Guild to create a complete set of replica hangings and bedding for the bed to give visitors a better idea of how it would have looked when it was in use in the 19th century.
The Museum's second Chinese gallery opened in November 2011 (see above).
10 March 2011
Local photographers highlight the plight of child labourers in South East Asia
(February 2011)
A glimpse into the complex lives of children growing up in South East Asia today is provided by a new exhibition opening this week (11th February) at Durham University's Oriental Museum.
Over the past two years, Stanley-based photographers Paul Johnson and Jackie Neil have travelled extensively through Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam documenting the lives of children across the region. This exhibition of their work, entitled Can we play now?, highlights the continuing tension between work, play and education in the lives of some of the young people they met.
Curator Craig Barclay said: "Countries in South East Asia have made huge strides in improving the lives of children in recent years. However, the region continues to face issues of child labour and child trafficking. Children continue to be exploited as beggars, in domestic labour, in manufacturing and fishing industries, agriculture and in bars and restaurants serving the tourist markets. Many of these children receive little or no schooling as a result. The photographs taken by Paul and Jackie highlight the plight of just a few of these children. We hope this exhibition will provide visitors with an enjoyable, but also thought provoking, experience."
Can we play now? opens to the public on Friday 11th February and runs until Sunday 5th June 2011.
Museum closing for 2 weeks in January 2011
(December 2010)
The Oriental Museum will be closing to the public for two weeks from Saturday 8th January. We will reopen on Monday 24th January.
This closure is part of the museum's redevelopment project. During this time we will be installing a completely redesigned reception area to welcome visitors to the museum. This will include a new reception desk, better designed shop and enlarged cafe area with additional seating.
At the same time we will be undertaking major work in the Marvels of China gallery, removing textiles and paintings that need to be rested and transforming the layout of the gallery to enable us to display objects from the collections which have not previously been on display. Work will continue on this gallery over the coming months.
All change at the Museum
(October 2010)
The Oriental Museum opened to the public in May 1960. This year we are celebrating the museum's Golden Jubilee and, in addition to Jubilee celebrations, museum staff have been planning major changes to the galleries, classrooms, shop and café. Pretty much every part of the museum is getting an overhaul.
We have set out an ambitious programme of development for the next five years. Consultation with Friends and other groups has been going on throughout the year as we have honed our plans. Now major work is about to commence, and regular updates will be added to this News section to keep visitors up to date. Follow the Redevelopment Project link on the left to read more. We would welcome your comments and questions on the redevelopment programme.
Launch of the Treasures of the Oriental Museum book
(July 2010)
On 30th June 2010 University Chancellor, Bill Bryson, launched the Treasures of the Oriental Museum, Durham University. The book's introduction traces the history of the collections and their arrival in Durham and the 50 short essays that accompany the objects have been written by artists, curators, researchers, students and collectors from the UK and around the world, offering a wide range of viewpoints on this enormously varied and fascinating collection, accompanied by all new colour photography of these stunning objects.
Launching the book, Bill Bryson echoed the words he used in the foreword to the book, urging anyone who has yet to visit the Oriental Museum to "drop everything and go at once. It's that good."
Museum Curator Craig Barclay said: "I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with the Chancellor's comments. The book is a marvellous celebration of some of the most wonderful cultural treasures in the region and we are confident that it will attract great interest from around the world."
Copies of the book can be ordered from the Durham University Online Shop.