A visitor takes photos of a Chinese canopy bed during the exhibition of Ivan Skusek's collection at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 29, 2024. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
LJUBLJANA, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Over a century after its arrival in Slovenia, a stunning Chinese wooden model depicting a three-bay ancient gate with a saddle roof made its public debut in Ljubljana on Tuesday.
It is one of the 130 exhibits showcased at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, all belonging to the collection of late Slovenian collector Ivan Skusek who brought them from China a century ago.
"I cannot imagine how happy he (Ivan Skusek) would have felt if he could see this exhibition today. His dream came true," Skusek's great-nephew Janez Lombergar told Xinhua.
Skusek lived in Beijing between 1914 and 1920 where he met his wife. They had planned to build a private museum in traditional Chinese architectural style in Slovenia to demonstrate their collections from China.
Several Chinese experts from China's Palace Museum spent months assembling the ancient gate and decorative partition, which were in small wooden pieces when brought to Slovenia by Skusek, who died in 1947.
"I grew up with this collection. My granddad ... kept telling me Ivan's story and his collection," Lombergar said.
When he was a child, Lombergar sometimes took a nap in the Chinese canopy bed decorated with dragons which is also on display at the exhibition that opened on Tuesday, Lombergar told Xinhua.
Unfortunately, Skusek's dream did not come true during his lifetime. He was not wealthy and many artifacts he bought in China were lost or damaged during his family's multiple moves. Some 500 Chinese artefacts were donated to the country after Skusek and his wife Marija passed away.
"It (the exhibition) features exquisite objects such as a model of a Chinese house, selected pieces of carved furniture, a collection of Buddhist statues, textiles embroidered with gold thread, musical instruments and many mysterious objects," Natalija Polenec, director of the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, told Xinhua.
The Slovene Ethnographic Museum hosted the exhibition in cooperation with the Slovenian Confucius Institute, the Chinese Palace Museum, the Science and Research Centre Koper, and several other academic research institutes.
Polenec said the Chinese experts' assistance was essential because the restoration process was extremely precise and could not be done without experts familiar with ancient Chinese architecture.
Guo Fuxiang, curator of the Court History Department of the Palace Museum, told RTV Slovenia that the artifacts showed Skusek's strong desire to set up a museum.
"He had a plan of how to do it. He made good and careful decisions on what to buy, which shows that he planned to present China to the Slovenian public by choosing objects representing Chinese culture and art. ... This is a nice example of the connection between the two states. Skusek was a cultural envoy," Guo said.
Skusek is recognized as one of the first collectors of Chinese furniture in the West. He was interested in the daily life of the Chinese people, so his collections include postcards, fans, snuff bottles, pipes and wine bottles.
Polenec said the exhibition will help people learn from the past. "The exhibition exposes people to different worldviews, prompting them to explore their own culture from a fresh perspective."
"It can help break down cultural barriers, promote social inclusion, and contribute to a more inclusive society," she said.
Lombergar said the exhibition will bring Chinese culture closer to people in Slovenia and culture is the basis for any connection between nations. ■
People view exhibits during the exhibition of Ivan Skusek's collection at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia, May 29, 2024. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
This photo taken on May 29, 2024 shows a piece of the Chinese interior wooden decoration, which has been restored by Chinese experts from China's Palace Museum, during the exhibition of Ivan Skusek's collection at the Slovene Ethnographic Museum in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Photo by Zeljko Stevanic/Xinhua)
