‘Century of Splendor: 20th Century Chinese Furniture from the Lee Family Collection’ Exhibition in Hong Kong, China

Hysan Development (‘Hysan’) collaborates with the Pak Shan Tang Foundation and the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong […]

Hysan Development (‘Hysan’) collaborates with the Pak Shan Tang Foundation and the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (‘CUHK’) to hold the ‘Century of Splendor: 20th Century Chinese Furniture from the Lee Family Collection’ exhibition. From now until November 20, Chinese antique furniture cherished by the Lee family will be exhibited at ‘Urban Sky’, the cultural and artistic living space on the 9th floor of Hysan Place, reproducing the furnishings of Hong Kong Chinese merchant mansions a century ago and the furniture characteristics that blended Chinese and Western cultures at that time. Some of the collections are making their public debut for the first time. Short videos are also played on site, telling the story of Mr. Lee Hysan, the founder of the Lee family, and his ‘mansion’. In addition, old photos cherished by the Lee family are exhibited at FORUM in the Eslite Bookstore on the same floor, presenting the daily life of the’mansion’ at that time. Mr. Lee Hysan received his education in the United States when he was young. After completing his studies and returning to China, he settled in Hong Kong and built a mansion on Kennedy Road. In 1923, Mr. Lee purchased Causeway Bay East Point Hill and made it his home, laying an important foundation for the future development of Lee Gardens and the family business. These decisions not only established the destiny of the Lee family’s development in Hong Kong but also reflected their confidence in Hong Kong’s prospects. Over the past century, Lee Gardens has flourished into a vibrant community and grown together with several generations of Hong Kong people. This furniture exhibition not only showcases the furniture cherished by the Lee family and their enthusiasm for Chinese culture and art but also presents the development course of the Lee family over a century. [A Pair of Painted Pots and Vases](https://res.klook.com/image/upload/v1730095854/jbc5pb0iwu8wdomshvdx.jpg). This ‘Century of Splendor: 20th Century Chinese Furniture from the Lee Family Collection’ exhibition will display more than twenty furniture collections donated by the Pak Shan Tang Foundation to the Art Museum of CUHK in the early years. At the same time, it also includes the treasures that have never been publicly exhibited by the Lee family. The exhibits are mainly Cantonese furniture that emerged by incorporating foreign cultures. Cantonese furniture is known for its luxury, grandeur, and elaborateness. It mainly uses imported huge rosewood as the main material, and its specifications are generally larger than Ming-style furniture. On the exhibited furniture, we can find decorations inlaid with various precious materials and gems, fine carving techniques, and distinctive Eastern and Western patterns, making it even more magnificent and colorful, and it was deeply loved by the upper-class society at that time. Cantonese furniture incorporating the essence of foreign culture and art also precisely reveals the special status and role of Hong Kong as a cultural exchange gateway at the beginning of the last century.

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The exhibition is open from October 25th to November 20th, with operating hours from 12:00 to 20:00. Performance times and durations are subject to the actual schedule at the venue.

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