Nearly 200 Modern Ceremonial Weapons and Armor on Display at CityU

City University's Ping Gallery is hosting an exhibition featuring nearly 200 ceremonial weapons and armor pieces from various cultures, countries, religions, and historical periods. The exhibition, titled 'Majestic Splendor: Cross-Cultural Art of Ceremonial Weapons,' not only showcases numerous invaluable and historically significant artifacts but also includes interactive exhibits created through interdisciplinary collaboration between CityU professors and students. These exhibits use modern science and technology to explore the historical significance of these ceremonial weapons from different dimensions. This exhibition is part of City University's 30th-anniversary celebrations and is co-curated by Dr. Rachel Parikh, Deputy Director of the Dunhuang Foundation, and Dr. Chan Lai Pik, Director of Ping Gallery. The artifacts come from esteemed private and local public collections, including the renowned Mengdiexuan and several rare and exquisite items previously loaned to the Zhai. The exhibition highlights the diverse roles of weapons and armor, from symbols of status and identity to objects of religious worship. The exhibition is divided into four sections: 'Introduction to Ceremonial Weapons and Armor,' 'Visual Vocabulary of Ceremonial Weapon Decoration Techniques,' 'Ceremonial Weapons and Armor of Seven Regions,' covering North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Caucasus, and all of Asia; and 'Looking East,' which explores the mutual influences of trade, expeditions, and colonialism on the production of ceremonial weapons and armor in the East and West. The interactive exhibits created through CityU's interdisciplinary collaboration utilize research on ceremonial weapons from different regions and incorporate immersive experiences, interactive media, the metaverse, and dynamic imagery. They also apply algorithms in media art, use scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for scientific analysis of specific weapons, and employ multispectral imaging (MSI) to study the portraits of meritorious officials in the Ziguangge, providing a unique cross-disciplinary perspective for exploring the creation and historical stories of ceremonial weapons. Exhibition Details 'Majestic Splendor: Cross-Cultural Art of Ceremonial Weapons' Exhibition Period: November 5, 2024, to February 23, 2025 Time: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Closed on Mondays) Venue: Ping Gallery, 18th Floor, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Admission: Free