Behind me is the Skeppsholmsbron (Skeppsholm bridge). After you cross the bridge, turn left, climb a few steps, you will be arriving at the Östasiatiska Museet (Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities). Here you can see the fine collection of antiques, ancient objects and art installation featuring China, Japan and Korea.
On the first floor there are a small store, cafe, kids’ playing room and storage. Right now an interesting exhibition featuring paper as experimental art clothes by Bea Szebfeld is on display. This echoes with the museum’s own exhibition of paper history and making. We got to see how paper is made from barks of trees, tools for extracting the fibers, development of books from oracle bones to bamboo sheets to pieces of paper. We can also touch different types of papers. I found the Xuanzhi (宣纸) there, on which I used to practise Chinese painting and calligraphy when I was young. I think it’s amazing Chinese characters were used from thousands of years ago until today. I can still read the scripture of “lotus sutra” without interpretation.
However my favorite room is where the antiques are housed. In the Japan room you can see tiny cute sculptures, swords, sword guards, cases, samurai uniforms, theater masks, as well as description of Japanese life and how the nation was formed.
The China room has two parts. One is for objects before China formed into a united nation, when people lived as tribes and communities. Another is China throughout the dynasties from Shang (ca. 1600–ca. 1050 B.C.) to Qing (1644–1911). I suggest that you walk in the right order so you get to see how things evolved through the time, due to improvement of materials as well as craftsmanship. However, it still amazed me how exquisite those decoration were, judging from how old they already are. Although I’ve seen a lot in museums in China, I love to see it here, as there are less people and I can appreciate all those treasures at my own speed in peace. Here you can see the potteries from “pre-China” China, and a Buddhist statue from Sui dynasty (581–618) and an extraordinary embroidered coat from Qing dynasty (1644–1911), which is also the last dynasty before China got modernized.
If you ever stop in Stockholm and have a bit extra time, I strongly suggest that you visit this museum. It’s free admission and well executed. I can’t wait to go back then sometime soon.
INDISKA dress EU M | H&M blazer EU 34|GEOX shoes EU 36 | GULDFYND silver necklace
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