Roman and Chinese Empires come together in art exhibit in Italy

ROME — Exhibits from the two great empires, the Eagle and the Dragon, comprise more than 400 works on Roman and Chinese empires, spanning second century BC to fourth century AD, on display now in Rome at Palazzo Venezia. It marks Year of Chinese Culture in Italy

For the first time, an exhibition that compares the two seminal empires in world history: the Roman Empire and the Chinese Qin and Han dynasties from the second century BC to the second century AD.

The exhibition is a collaboration between Italy’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and China’s State Administration for Cultural Heritage. It has already been seen in Beijing, Luoyang and Milan.

Kicking off at Beijing in July 2009 at its World Art Museum, the more than 300 works of art will be on display from both cultures aim to draw parallels between the cultures and mechanisms of both empires, while also highlighting their differences. Terracotta warriors, sarcophagi from Mawangdui and Han frescoes will stand alongside Roman funerary altars, mosaics and marble statues. The extraordinary ceramic statues showing the costumes, fashion and military arts of ancient China, will be compared to gladiatorial weapons, mythological figures and other archaeological artifacts that attest to the social habits of ancient Romans.