England will soon be at war with France, America has yet to declare its independence, and the Qing Dynasty court is stricken with love and tragedy. The year is 1699, and a Chinese playwright has just finished his Kunqu opera masterpiece, The Peach Blossom Fan. As Europe continues to colonise the world, China begins the last of its imperial dynasties; a tumultuous time that nevertheless produced remarkable art.

The Peach Blossom Fan, an opera about the separation and reunion of lovers, reached outstanding recognition during the zenith of Kunqu’s popularity, and was inevitably performed at the Imperial Palace. Over 300 years later, the tale continues to be told in theatres, but perhaps more impressive are the props from early Qing-era performances that have been preserved intact.

Usually kept safely in Beijing, the capital’s Palace Museum has lent these precious items, along with other Chinese opera memorabilia, to the Macau Museum of Art. Over the next three months, visitors will be treated to The Dragon’s Stage: Chinese Opera Artifacts from the Palace Museum. Packed with rare antiques, the collection holds includes a variety of opera costumes, masks, musical instruments, records, prints, musical scores and scripts. Among the superannuated Palace Museum possessions will be a brocade-wrapped album of 20 leaves. Each leaf in the album carries two highly detailed paintings depicting a play from the Qing Dynasty. The collection also includes red archery suits once worn by high-ranking imperial officials.

To enliven proceedings, there will be guided tours in Mandarin and Cantonese, as well as family workshops. For the latter, parents and kids will be introduced to the music, dance, and costumes of Chinese opera, and then make their own using cloth, masks, wood, and other materials. However, for us, the past is fascinating enough. Michael Nuñez

See: www.artmuseum.gov.mo, admission is free December 7, 8, 14, 20, 21, 24, 25 & 28