Through the online virtual tour
I visited the Hubei Provincial Museum on the online website https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/hubei-provincial-museum-%E6%B9%96%E5%8C%97%E7%9C%81%E5%8D%9A%E7%89%A9%E9%A6%86
Significant Exhibitions
The significant exhibitions at the museum are ceremonial artifacts which were used by the Great Ming Dynasty. The online virtual tour is part of the Google art projects where items from different museums in the world are showcased in a virtual environment. In the virtual museum tour, I viewed different ritual items and weapons which were used by Prince Zhuang of Liang. These ritual items and weapons used by the prince were made for specific events, for instance, the Prince gave some items as a form of presents during weddings and items and clothing that were worn during times of burial. During times of expeditions and war, there were also different items and weapons which were carried by the prince that are exhibited at the Hubei Provincial Museum.
Ceremonial Cap
One of the exhibited pieces which caught is the ceremonial cap that was used by the ancient emperors of Ming. The caps had featured tassels of jade beads that were hanging from the back and the front. Both the front and back sides of the cap had 12 tassels of jade beads designed for the emperors, the prince who was to take the crown had his cap designed with nine tassels in both the front and back sides of the cap. The tassels for the crown prince had been designed with nine jade beads each. The Ming restored the ceremonial caps after they had done away with the traditions and customs of the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. This piece got my attention because of the aesthetical design that was used in creating the cap and the way it defined the rites and practices of the Zhou. The number of tassels and beads contained in each tassel could be used to tell who was wearing the cap and the role that he played (Cap - Google Arts \ Culture). The Ming society also had strict guidelines that controlled the way clothing and hats were used, people of different classes were supposed to dress in different ways, and the type of caps was also different. In this case, I was interested in this type of exhibition because it will allow me to understand how the society was stratified.
Gui Tablet
Gui was another item that caught my attention during the virtual tour of the Hubei Provincial Museum. The Gui was a type of ceremonial tablet which had its top pointed. The information provided in the museum states that the Gui tablet made its first appearance during the Neolithic era. The tablet was a vital instrument that was used in different rituals by the nobles and the emperors; it was primarily used during the functions of the court, funerals and when offering sacrifices. The item caught my attention because it was used as a symbol of authority in the Ming society (Greenish-White Jade Gui With Plain Surface - Google Arts \ Culture). In a bid to understand the way the Ming society was stratified, there is a need to understand the way the different items were used by people of different classes in the society. The Gui tablet which was used by the emperors and nobles of the Ming society was used to symbolize the status of a person and the authority that he or she had in the community.
Works Cited
"Cap - Google Arts " Culture". Google Cultural Institute, 2018, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/cap/GwHVik7LmhsnyA. Accessed 3 Dec 2018.
"Greenish-White Jade Gui With Plain Surface - Google Arts " Culture". Google Cultural Institute, 2018, https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/greenish-white-jade-gui-with-plain-surface/IgHsljGfhgZxGg. Accessed 3 Dec 2018.
