The Search for Immortality

Dancers at the Han exhibition, Fitzwilliam MuseumThe Fitzwilliam Museum mounts quite wonderful small exhibitions. The last major one (major in terms of its interest and the quality of what was on show) was the Vermeer exhibition last year. Now there is a beautifully mounted show of objects excavated from tombs from Han China. This continues until November, and is very well worth a visit if you are in or near Cambridge: entrance is free too. We particularly liked these terracotta figures of the musicians and dancers (click to enlarge).

The exhibition is called ‘The Search for Immortality’. And some of the commentary on the audio guide did attribute crude beliefs about the afterlife on the basis of what was found in tombs (as if the pots and musical instruments were there to be used …). But if Romeo buries his love letters to Juliet with her, is that because he must think she needs reading matter in the grave?

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