An exhibition that tells the history of the world through 100 items is to open at the National Palace Museum in Taipei on Saturday to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the museum next year.
“A History of the World in 100 Objects” uses artifacts that date from 2 million years ago to the present to illuminate how humans have shaped the world and been shaped by it, said Daniel Sung (宋兆霖), lead curator of the museum’s rare books and historical documents division.
The exhibition, organized by the museum and the British Museum, is part of a world tour of the latter’s “A History of the World in 100 Objects” exhibition. Taipei is the first leg of the tour in Asia.
Photo: CNA
Four of the precious objects set to be displayed were revealed at a press conference on Monday.
One is an old stone chopping tool dated to between 1.8 million and 2 million years ago. It is the oldest human-made object in the British Museum and one of the oldest known objects made by humans.
Discovered in Tanzania, the chopping tool was used by ancient humans to chop plants and wood, and break open animal bones to obtain the marrow inside.
Photo: CNA
“Human beings used these kinds of chopping tools to obtain high-calorie food, which fed the development of a larger and more complex brain that was capable of developing new strategies for survival,” Sung said.
Another object is a clay tablet with cuneiform script written on it dated to between 700 BC and 600 BC. The tablet contains a chapter from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is considered the world’s first great work of literature.
The two other objects are a 1280 BC granite statue of Ramses II, a celebrated Egyptian pharaoh, and a 1515 woodcut print of a rhinoceros by Albrecht Durer.
An Indian sultan gave the rhinoceros print to the king of Portugal in 1515 when Portugal was aiming to set up its first permanent base in India, the National Palace Museum said.
Visitors can visit the exhibition for art education purposes or if they just want to learn more about world history, Sung said.
“A History of the World in 100 Objects” began as a radio series that was jointly produced by BBC Radio 4 and the British Museum in 2010. The radio series drew millions of listeners and the success led to a book being published later that year.
About half of the items on display in Taipei will be from the original series, with the rest from other collections at the British Museum.
The exhibition runs until March 15 next year.
The Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Wanda-Zhonghe Line is 81.7 percent complete, with public opening targeted for the end of 2027, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said today. Surrounding roads are to be open to the public by the end of next year, Hou said during an inspection of construction progress. The 9.5km line, featuring nine underground stations and one depot, is expected to connect Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station to Chukuang Station in New Taipei City’s Jhonghe District (中和). All 18 tunnels for the line are complete, while the main structures of the stations and depot are mostly finished, he
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
Taipei is to implement widespread road closures around Taipei 101 on Friday to make way for large crowds during the Double Ten National Day celebration, the Taipei Department of Transportation said. A four-minute fireworks display is to be launched from the skyscraper, along with a performance by 500 drones flying in formation above the nearby Nanshan A21 site, starting at 10pm. Vehicle restrictions would occur in phases, they said. From 5pm to 9pm, inner lanes of Songshou Road between Taipei City Hall and Taipei 101 are to be closed, with only the outer lanes remaining open. Between 9pm and 9:40pm, the section is
The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday hosted a reception to celebrate Double Ten National Day. Conservative Canadian lawmaker Marc Dalton called Taiwan a “beacon of courage and resilience in the face of rising authoritarianism,” according to a post on the Taiwan in Vancouver Facebook page. Also in attendance were fellow conservative caucus members Tako Van Popta and Chak Au, who said that Taiwan plays an “indispensable role” in ensuring global peace, prosperity and stability due to its strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region, it said. Canadian lawmaker Michael Cooper also recorded a message wishing Taiwan a
RSS