Ancient Asian art masterpieces displayed in Kiev

KIEV, Oct. 21 (Xinhua) -- An exhibition of Asian art in a Kiev museum featuring 35 ancient exhibits, including some exquisite pieces from China, was opened to the public on Friday.

The exhibition, titled "Paintings and Graphics of Asia", is held in the Museum of Western and Oriental Art, locally known as Khanenko Museum, in a bid to demonstrate the unique cultural heritage of Asian countries.

One of its highlights is the showcase of some Chinese paintings and unique examples of "Nianhua", a kind of colored woodblock prints dating from the 18th and 19th centuries for household decoration during the Chinese New Year.

According to Galina Bilenko, the head of the oriental art department at the museum, the Chinese artworks, some of which were transferred to Ukraine at the end of the 19th century, had undergone major renovations before the exhibition.

"This exposition will show our audience all the difficulties Ukrainian and European restaurateurs have faced while renovating the paintings, particularly the Chinese paintings on scrolls," Bilenko told Xinhua.

She added that currently, more than 250 pieces of Chinese artwork, which were collected throughout the centuries, are kept in Khanenko Museum.

Apart from the Chinese art pieces, the exposition also features 17th-century Persian miniature paintings and Japanese prints, including the works of the renowned 19th-century artists Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige.

The exhibition will last until Dec. 25.