On July 20^th, the Guangdong Museum (also known as the Guangzhou Lu Xun Memorial Hall )in collaboration with Art Exhibitions China launched the"An Exhibition of Antiquities from Ancient Syria" on the No.3 exhibition hallon the third floor. The exhibition showcases a grand panorama of the ancient Syrian civilization spanning from the Paleolithic era to the 18th century, and will run until October 20^th.

Syria, officially known as the Syrian Arab Republic, is located in the western part of the Asian continent, along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, with its capital being Damascus. The country is rich in ancient cities and cultural heritage, bearing traces of human activities dating back hundreds of thousands to tens of thousands of years ago. Throughout history, various cultures have collided, merged, and converged in this region, making it a crucial crossroad of human civilization, connecting the cultures of Asia, Europe, and Africa. The exhibition is divided into five sections: "Dawn", "Transformation", "Competition", "Integration", and "Dialogue", offering a vivid glimpse into the life of ancient Syrians.

Among the highlights of the exhibition are the "Mosaic" from the National Museum of Damascus. These intricate artworks are crafted by assembling rectangular, triangular, and diamond-shaped seashells, red limestone, and slate on a black mosaic background, depicting five figures in a state of worship. Another remarkable artifact is the "Standing Male Worshipper", unearthed in the ancient city of Mari (modern Tall al-Ḥarīrī) and dating back to the early Bronze Age (2600 BC - 2400 BC). These statues feature long beards, bare upper bodies, and typical Sumerian  woolen attire, posed in a prayerful manner. Similar small sculptures, depicting figures in prayer, were found in temples along the Euphrates River, representing various societal roles such as administrators, scribes, officials, and merchants.

The "An Exhibition of Antiquities from Ancient Syria" has toured five places in China, including Shenzhen, Chengdu, Beijing, Hebei, and Shanxi. The current display at the Guangdong Museum marks the sixth stop of this exhibition. Dr. Li Wen, the curator of the exhibition, mentioned that for the Guangdong exhibition, they have selected 12 precious artifacts from the museum's collection to enhance the audience's understanding of the cultural dialogue between China and West Asia, with many of these artifacts being shown to the public for the first time.

Notably, among blue and white porcelain collections from the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) housed at the Guangdong Museum, many pieces bear distinct West Asian features. Items such as the Ming Xuande-marked blue-and-white vase with design of dragon among Clouds, the Ming Xuande-markedblue-and-white plate with designs of lotus, the Jingdezhen kiln blue-and-white waterpot with coiled branch lotus, and the blue-and-white kendi (ewer) with stones and flowersexemplify the remarkable cultural exchange between China and West Asia, serving as outstanding examples of intercultural communication.

粤博展览上新：210件/套文物呈现古代叙利亚文明融汇画卷

7月20日，广东省博物馆（广州鲁迅纪念馆）（以下简称“粤博”）与中国文物交流中心合办的“叙利亚古代文物精品展”在粤博三楼展厅三展出。展览为观众呈现从旧石器时代绵延至18世纪，古代叙利亚地区波澜壮阔的文明融汇画卷，展期至10月20日。

今天的阿拉伯叙利亚共和国，简称叙利亚，位于亚洲大陆西部，地中海东岸，首都为大马士革。叙利亚古城与文物古迹众多，文化遗产丰富多彩。作为世界上最古老文明的发祥地之一，距今数十万年至数万年前，已存在人类活动痕迹。随后，各种文化在这里碰撞、交汇、融合，使得这一区域成为重要的“人类文明交往的十字路口”，将亚、欧、非三大洲的文明连接起来。本次展览按时间顺序划分为五个单元：“曙光”“变革”“争雄”“融合”和“对话”，重现了古叙利亚人的生活图景。

重点展品方面，如展出的大马士革国家博物馆藏的“镶嵌画”，由长方形、三角形和菱形的贝壳、红色石灰岩和片岩等拼接而成，被置于黑色马赛克背景下，画中描绘了五个正在膜拜的人物形象。展出的“祭拜者雕像”出土于马里古城，年代为青铜时代早期（公元前2600年-公元前2400年）。这些雕像，蓄长须，上身赤裸，下身着典型的苏美尔人羊毛服饰，并作祈祷姿势。在幼发拉底河沿岸的庙宇里，有很多类似呈祈祷姿势的小雕塑，被放置在庙宇内墙边的椅子上，他们分别代表着行政官、登记官、办事员，以及商人等不同阶层人士。

据悉，“叙利亚古代文物精品展”已在中国国内的深圳、成都、北京、河北、山西分别巡展了五站。本次在粤博展出，是该展的第六站。展览策展人李文博士介绍，本次展览粤博站特别选取了12件珍贵的馆藏文物，丰富观众对中国与西亚文化对话的理解，其中多件文物是首次与观众见面。

值得一提的是，粤博馆藏的明代青花瓷中，有不少带着浓郁的西亚造型风格。明宣德款青云白龙大瓷瓶、明宣德青花束莲大瓷盘、景德镇窑青花缠枝莲花浇、青花开光山石花卉纹军持等，都是其中极具代表性的器型，展现中国与西亚文明的互鉴，是文化交流的绝佳例证。

采写｜新快报记者 黄闻禹 通讯员 粤博宣
摄影｜新快报记者 夏世焱 实习生 黄恺琪
翻译｜刘佳慧
责编 | 王楠