The final part explains how scholars and aesthetes transformed archaistic bronzes from revered vessels of the state into elegant studio furnishings for the leisurely appreciation of antiquity.

During the exhibition in New York, over 300,000 visitors went to The Met to see the show, Hollein says. "It was a revelation for audiences in regard to the deep understanding of more recent Chinese bronzes, but also a celebration of the great collaboration between the Shanghai Museum and The Metropolitan Museum."

Chu Xiaobo, director of the Shanghai Museum, says the exhibition marks another milestone in the collaboration between the two institutions that dates back to 1980, when the Shanghai Museum participated in an exhibition of Chinese bronze at The Met.

The Shanghai Museum and The Met are planning further collaborations, Hollein says. "We already have one (project) framed up, and we will announce something very soon, with the Shanghai Museum."

Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn