A Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) bronzeware is among the pieces shown at the Chinese zodiac exhibition featuring the ox at Shanghai Museum. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

A new Chinese zodiac show featuring the ox opened on Feb 2, ushering in a series of seven exhibitions at Shanghai Museum for this year.

The zodiac exhibition features eight objects themed around the ox, the zodiac animal for 2021 according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

Chu Xin, deputy director of the exhibition department at Shanghai Museum, says that visitors will be able to learn about the wide representation of oxen in ancient Chinese culture through this showcase.

She notes that the ox is prominent in Chinese art because the animal is closely related to two important aspects of traditional Chinese society: farming and rituals.

A Song Dynasty (960-1279) painting on a fan is among the pieces shown at the Chinese zodiac exhibition featuring the ox at Shanghai Museum. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Six of the sculptures, paintings and jade objects featuring the ox come from the Shanghai Museum's collection. The remaining two were loaned from the National Museum of Korea in South Korea.

Following the zodiac exhibition, which will conclude on March 7, Shanghai Museum will present a showcase of paintings and calligraphy represented in silk weaving and embroidery from May 21 to July 18.

Tapestry was introduced to China along the Silk Road, and in China craftspeople turned the material from wool to silk, developing a new craft known as kesi. In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), kesi techniques, subjects and styles evolved, and great artworks soon started to emerge.

A Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) bronzeware is among the pieces shown at the Chinese zodiac exhibition featuring the ox at Shanghai Museum. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Shanghai Museum is also planning to hold a ceramic-art exhibition by collaborating with some leading museums in the West, such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, Great Britain Museum and the Louvre Museum. This showcase is scheduled to take place from June 8 to Sept 12.

Other events art buffs can look forward to are an exhibition of Chinese paintings, a special showcase of donated objects, a bronze exhibition featuring the ancient E Kingdom, and an exhibition of lacquer art from Dec 17 to Feb 16, 2022, that presents artworks from the collections of Shanghai Museum and the Tokyo National Museum of Japan.