National Museum of Singapore@A Banquet in Stone
National Museum, Balcony (Level 2)
19th June – 12th August 2007
10am – 9pm, daily
Free admission

A BANQUET IN STONE
Feast your eyes on an exhibition where geology meets gastronomy

Think of the most unlikely place you would find pan-fried carrot cake (luobo gao) and Yangzhou fried rice (Yangzhou chaofan) and you would still be amazed by the National Museum’s latest exhibition A Banquet in Stone. Jilin ginseng and pan-fried carrot cake from the Gobi desert? These are some of the rare and bizarre minerals and rocks in Taiwanese collector Mr. Hsu’s Chun-I’s stone collection that bear an uncanny resemblance to popular Chinese food dishes.

A hobby became an obsession for Mr. Hsu who started his unconventional pastime 20 years ago collecting and assembling stones to form elaborate dishes with lavish ‘garnishes’. For the first time in Singapore, a part of his collection will be presented at the National Museum. The exhibition of over fifty dishes and delicacies – from shark’s fin soup and Buddha Jumps Over the Wall to Hong Kong dim sum and foie gras – will not just be a visual experience for visitors, but will also provide them with knowledgeabout rare stones, minerals and fossils and give insight into the dishes and delicacies enjoyed by many,particularly those from the Chinese-speaking world.

Whilst the ex-engineer is not the only hobbyist of this genre (the Chinese have been fascinated with unique stones since ancient times) he stands out from other collectors because of his painstaking efforts to assemble the stones on the appropriate crockery and garnish them to form each dish. His creations are immaculately presented, bearing striking resemblance to each dish they are based upon. The rocks, minerals and fossils are not modified or shaped to resemble the food, although the Chinese are fond of enhancing the natural beauty of stones through various ways such as staining or dyeing.

One of the highlights of the exhibition is a Jinxiang stone (Jinxiang yu) from Yunnan, China, which not only resembles chocolate, but is imbued with a natural chocolate-like scent from the break-down of organic materials in its environment over time.

The Chinese appreciation of stones is driven by a love of nature, and a stone’s natural appearance often reveals an unusual or quirky form, rich and harmonious colours, a compact, hard, and unblemished body, and clear, beautiful patterns. A collector also looks at its character and spirit – it must appeal to the imagination and inspire contemplation. Only then can a rock or mineral qualify to be qishi or ‘unique stone’.

Mr. Hsu has since amassed a collection of over 250 dishes valued at over S$2 million. The most valuable item on display is the Pig’s Trotters and Eggs Stewed in Dark Soya Sauce, valued at S$130, 000. His collection has been exhibited at the National Museum of History (Taiwan) and the Kaohsiung Museum of History.

A Banquet in Stone will be exhibited at the National Museum, Balcony from 19th June – 12th August 2007.

Admission is free.

Exhibition Details

A Banquet in Stone
National Museum, Balcony (Level 2)
19th June – 12th August 2007
10am – 9pm, daily
Free admission

Presented by: National Museum of Singapore & National Museum of History (Taiwan)

For more details, please go to www.nationalmuseum.sg.

Visit SPRING JuChunYuan for a real taste on Buddha Jumps Over The Wall

Photographs Courtesy of National Museum of Singapore. All Rights reserved.