MEMPHIS, Tennessee, November 10, 2006 –Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art, 119 South Main Street, will present a lecture by acclaimed collector Mr. Zhao Xiong November 11 at 3:00 p.m. Xiong is vice chairman of the Collector’s Association of Changsha City in China’s Hunan Province. He will showcase his collection of more than 6,000 wood carvings from the Ming and Qing dynasties that he has collected since 1992.

The carvings, many of which feature scenes of domestic life, drama scenes and landscapes, were used to adorn homes during the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from the 14th to 17th centuries, and the Qing Dynasty, which lasted from the end of Ming Dynasty to the early 20th century. Many of the carvings from ancient houses were destroyed during the war and the Cultural Revolution. Red Guards destroyed most of the carvings in the 1960s.

Xiong will present some of his collection of Chinese woodcarvings and lecture on the history, culture and political implications of the pieces. As an avid collector, Mr. Xiong has done a great deal of research on the topic and will share many of the stories behind the carvings, including that of two farmers who risked their lives to preserve wood carvings after the Red Guard raided their rural home.

For more information on the lecture, please contact the Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art at 523-ARTS.

About Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art

Founded in 1998, the Belz Museumof Asian& Judaic Art is home to a collection that spans the art of many cultures and time periods including: Chinese art primarily from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Jewish art and Judaica, a selection of natural history and various contemporary examples of art and craft from around the world.

The museum has a diverse collection of objects on display. Sculptures carved from Chinese jades and other hard stones in the late Qing Dynasty, tomb figurines and statuary made during the Tang Dynasty in China, European art glass, Russian lacquer boxes and modern Jewish ritual objects represent the craft traditions of different cultures.
The Belz Museum of Asian & Judaic Art is located in the heart of downtown Memphis at 119 South Main Street, in the Pembroke Square Building. The museum is open from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from noon until 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For information on special group rates, guided tours, educational programs, teachers’ packets and special event room rental, contact the Museum at (901) 523-ARTS.