The Mughal Dynasty Treasures Revisited

Revisiting the Hong Kong Palace Museum for the Shenzhen Museum's "Prosperity and the Sword" exhibition. The Mughal Dynasty Treasures exhibition at the Hong Kong Palace Museum systematically reveals the formation mechanisms of 16th-17th century South Asian court art from the perspectives of art history and material culture. Artistically, it showcases a highly integrated visual grammar system: miniature paintings blend Persian lines, European perspective, and local colors to form narrative court art; while stylized naturalistic flowers are closely linked to the Islamic "paradise garden" and the ideology of imperial authority. In craftsmanship, the core lies in the mutual validation of materials and power. The unique "Kundan" inlay technique demonstrates exquisite control over the malleability of gold leaf; numerous jade carvings testify to the import of Xinjiang jade through Eurasian trade networks, and local innovations in shapes and patterns make it a typical case of material globalization. The deeper curatorial framework centers on civilizational dialogue. By juxtaposing Mughal jade and mother-of-pearl objects with Chinese Ming and Qing artifacts, the exhibition goes beyond aesthetic comparison to explore "technology transmission" and "cultural adaptation." A Ming dynasty yellow-glazed plate inscribed with Persian script fully presents the "life history" of an object being redefined in meaning and identity through cross-cultural circulation.