Credit: Henan Museum
A major exhibition from the Musée national d'archéologie, d'histoire et d'art (MNAHA) is about to open at the Henan Museum in Zhengzhou, China, tracing the history of Luxembourg and its role in Europe, from prehistory to the present day.
The exhibition explores the country's past through a multitude of archaeological artefacts ranging from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages, rare coins and medals linked to its different dynasties, objects linked to the Luxembourg Fortress as well as paintings, ceramics, silverware and furniture from the modern and contemporary era. Between archaeology, numismatics (coins), applied arts and fine arts, this ambitious exhibition bringing together more than 200 objects aims to paint a vivid picture of Luxembourg through the ages, aimed at the Chinese public.
This exhibition has been in the works for a long time, involving various scientific members of the museum and was postponed several times due to the pandemic context in Europe and Asia. Now finally, on 15 March 2024, three trucks will leave the MNAHA to head towards the airport and on 17 March 2024, a Cargolux plane will take off from Findel airport with more than 45 boxes on board, which had been prepared by the management team in January.
Between 15 and 17 March 2024, all works transported will be subject to a rigorous on-site scan by the airport security team aimed at detecting traces of explosives, except those packaged in a climatic crate whose measurement is greater than 1.60 m. These cannot be opened on-site for conservation reasons and must first be sealed and stamped by an expert 72 hours before their arrival at the airport.
All objects on the Henan Museum's loan list are ready for flight and meet both customs and security criteria for the circulation of cultural property, except one work – the last on the selection list presented below. This is a very large painting, Mansfeld Castle (1927) by Pierre Blanc, which is 227 cm high by 171.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm deep, including the frame. If the climatic transport box could be recovered from another painting (the famous Rosso Fiorentino, often in transit for loans), tailor-made blocks had to be ordered and will be delivered to the depot only the day before the big departure, namely 14 March, MNAHA explained. That day, Muriel Prieur, head of the management department and responsible for all logistical coordination of this exhibition outside the museum’s walls, will welcome a transport agent authorised to issue a certification allowing the museum to complete the formalities required in terms of security on the aeronautical plan to avoid any opening during airport control.
The exhibition, which will be inaugurated on 27 March 2024 at the Henan Museum, in Zhengzhou, China as part of the opening of the Luxembourg-Zhengzhou Air Silk Road route, will be open to the public from 28 March to 4 August 2024.
Note that the delivery of the artworks is done within the framework of a partnership concluded between the MNAHA and the company Cargolux which fully covers the round-trip transport costs.
