Recently, as an important project of China-Italian Culture and Tourism Year, "The Origin of Italy - Ancient Roman Civilization Exhibition" was grandly opened at the National Museum of China (hereinafter referred to as "National Expo"), exhibiting 308 exhibitions from 26 national museums in Italy. The set contains 503 precious cultural relics.

Today, when the new crown pneumonia epidemic has not yet dissipated, China and Italy have overcome many difficulties and delivered cultural relics through video points for the first time, successfully completing an innovative attempt of the cross-border cultural relics curatorial cooperation model.

Among them, more than ten cultural relics protection and restoration personnel from the National Expo assisted the curatorial team to complete this work. Restorers from bronze ware, gold and silver ware, stone, ceramics, murals, etc. connected with the corresponding Italian cultural relics, found problems in time and protected them The restoration provided important technical support for this international exhibition exchange.

　　The cross-border exhibition of cultural relics is a bridge between China and foreign countries.

In the process of "going out" and "bringing in" of cultural relics, the protection and restoration of cultural relics shoulders the important task of escorting cultural relics "crossing the ocean".

Since the establishment of the National Expo, the protection of cultural relics can be seen in transnational exhibitions.

On July 9, 1912, the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of History, the predecessor of the National Museum of China, was established. The following year, it was invited to participate in the Leipzig International Character Printing Exhibition in Germany, and lent the Qianlong jade-carved Preface to the Thirteen Classics, "The Book of Tables and Chapters" to Germany. Treasure" seal and other cultural relics.

According to records, in addition to lending the exhibits, they also "photographed videos of ancient artifacts and copied stone carvings".

Photography can be used as evidence for comparison when returning it, and it can also be used for publication; facsimiles can preserve the appearance and graphic materials of objects, and are often displayed in place of the originals. Both are common auxiliary means of cultural relics protection.

　　After the founding of New China, the ancient country of the East entered the international community with a brand-new attitude.

In 1950, Guobo was invited to participate in the "Chinese Art Exhibition" held by the Soviet Union, and finally selected 89 exhibits.

In order to ensure the safety of cultural relics, Guobo applied for a special fund, carefully prepared packaging materials, mounted and decorated, and prepared sacks.

At that time, a Ming Dynasty "Silk Embroidered Statue of Heavenly King" was specially restored, which not only improved the external display effect, but also helped the protection of the cultural relics themselves.

Since the reform and opening up, various cultural undertakings in China have participated in increasingly diverse international exchanges, as has the protection and restoration of cultural relics.

In 1989, a delegation of American cultural relics protection technical experts came to China National Expo to give an academic report, and visited the laboratory and restoration room to exchange business.

In the 1990s, the National Expo and the Canadian Foundation for the Protection of Chinese Cultural Relics cooperated to carry out various forms of cultural relics protection exchanges, such as sending visiting scholars to Canada for training, signing cooperation agreements to purchase large-scale scientific instruments, and jointly holding cultural relics protection achievements exhibitions.

While "bringing in", the protection and restoration skills of the National Expo are also actively "going out" in international cooperation.

In 1999, the painting and calligraphy copying and mounting room of the National Expo helped the Royal Ontario Museum of Canada to complete the unmasking and repairing of three Chinese calligraphy and paintings in its collection, demonstrating the charm of traditional skills in international exchanges.

In addition, experts in cultural preservation and restoration from Japan, Italy and other countries actively visited and exchanged.

　　In the past 10 years, experts on the protection and restoration of cultural relics at the National Expo have been invited to the French Museum Research and Restoration Center, the French National Heritage Institute, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the National Museum of Korea and other internationally renowned cultural and museum institutions to carry out cultural relics protection and restoration. academic exchange.

As the support unit of the Collections Protection Committee of the China Association of Museums, the National Museum of Art also actively connects with the Collections Protection Committee of the International Association of Museums, and conducts in-depth cooperation in the cultivation of cultural relics protection talents and academic exchanges.

Since 2018, the restorers of cultural relics from the National Expo have successively visited Chinese embassies in Russia, Malaysia, Egypt and other countries to restore calligraphy and paintings, contributing to the promotion of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries.

　　Museums are important places for the protection and inheritance of human civilization.

This year marks the 110th anniversary of the founding of the National Museum of China. As the country's highest palace of history, culture and art, it is not only an important center for the protection and restoration of cultural relics, but also an important platform for cultural exchanges and mutual learning. Diversity and tolerance are vividly explained here.

In line with the principle of "open cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win", in the organic combination of traditional restoration techniques and modern scientific methods, the national museum's cultural relics protection and restoration business will adhere to the responsibility and mission of the "guardian" of cultural relics, and in international exchanges Continue to tell good Chinese stories.

　　(The author is a restorer of cultural relics at the National Museum of China)

　　Liu Jianhui

　　Liu Jianhui