Chinese Art and Cultural Diplomacy is a story about the power of beautiful objects to establish and sustain personal, institutional and global relationships.
New Zealander Rewi Alley lived in China from 1927 until his death in 1987, experiencing wars, revolutions and major social upheavals. Alley cultivated a network of major political and cultural figures in China and New Zealand, and worked with prominent public institutions in both countries.
The first part of the book describes Alley’s life and work through his collection of Chinese art donated to Canterbury Museum, and how he used it to further Chinese causes. The second part highlights twenty-five treasures from Canterbury Museum’s Rewi Alley Collection, including ancient jades and bronzes, calligraphy by the grandson of an emperor, and paintings by twentieth-century masters.