Page 17 - The Golden Age of Chinese Archaeology: Celebrated Discoveries from the People’s Republic of China

Acknowledgments

Five years ago, when I first discussed the idea of organizing this exhibition with Marc F. Wilson,
director of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, I received his enthusiastic encouragement. Earl A.
Powell III, director of the National Gallery of Art, agreed not only to participate but to accept, on
behalf of the Gallery, responsibility as the principal organizer, owing to a conflict presented by
the simultaneous expansion of The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. I cannot find words to convey
my gratitude to Mr. Powell and Mr. Wilson for their foresight, determination, and leadership.
The project has benefited immeasurably from the cooperation of the State Bureau of
Cultural Relics, The People s Republic of China; museums and archaeological institutions

throughout China; many Chinese scholars and archaeologists; the Chinese Embassy to the
United States of America; and the American Embassy to The People s Republic of China. I
would like to express my deep appreciation to the State Bureau of Cultural Relics, particularly
to General Director Zhang Wenbin and his colleagues, Mr. Ma Zishu, Ms. Wang Limei, Mr.
Lou Bojian, and Mr. Song Xinchao; the Advisory Committee of the State Bureau, particularly
Professors Su Bai, Yu Weichao, Zhang Zhongpei, Xu Pingfang, Huang Jinlue, and Sun Ji; Art
Exhibitions China, particularly the exhibition team of Messrs, and Misses Yang Yang, Yin Jia,
Zhang Jianxin, Zhu Shumin, Zhao Gushan, and Chen Shujie; and the photography team of
Messrs, and Misses Fan Shenyan, Li Fan, and Zhang Yulian; and the transportation team of
Messrs. Zhang Yake and Yang Guangming. Ms. Wang Limei enthusiastically participated in this
project from the early stages and effectively coordinated work at the various museum and
archaeological institutions in China. Mr. Yang Yang was the team leader of Art Exhibitions
China and supervised related preparations in the agency. Ms. Fan Shenyan traveled throughout
China to make the beautiful photographs published here, even managing to satisfy my request
for numerous details and excavation photographs. Additional photographs were made by
Messrs. Gao Yuying, Jiang Cong, Qin Ziyu, Wang Baoping, and Wang Mengxiang. I am grateful
to Ambassador Li Zhaoxing and the staff at the Chinese Embassy to the United States; to

Messrs. Li Gang and Zhan Yucheng at the Ministry of Culture of The People's Republic of
China; and to Messrs. Paul Blackburn and William G. Crowell at the United States Embassy
to The People's Republic of China. I am also appreciative of James J. Lally, who lent his expert-
ise in reviewing the values provided for indemnity and insurance purposes.
Since 1997, I have worked with the excellent staff at the National Gallery of Art, perhaps
most closely with D. Dodge Thompson, chief of exhibitions, whose professionalism and coopera-
tive spirit I admire greatly. Sincere thanks are owed to the many other staff who tirelessly gave
of their time and expertise to the realization of this project, including Alan Shestack, deputy
director; Carol Kelley, deputy to the director; Ann B. Robertson and Jennifer Bumba-Kongo,
department of exhibitions, who provided administrative support; Susan M. Arensberg, Isabelle
Dervaux, Carroll Moore, Roily Strauss, and Yu-wen Wu, department of exhibition programs,
who prepared educational texts and produced the brochure and audio-visual program; Mervin
Richard, Michael Pierce, and Judy Ozone, conservation division, together with Michelle Fondas

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