Unpacking in the Forbidden City

We started unpacking and condition checking objects from the exhibition Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty at the Forbidden City in Beijing.  Everyone working  here at the Palace Museum was required to wear a face mask — an effort to prevent Swine flu. Here is a photo of the unpacking team (that’s me  in the first row on the right, with Asian Art Museum conservator Mark Fenn beside me):

And here is a glimpse of the condition checking chaos:

Next we will be off to Nanjing and finally Shanghai to deliver, unpack, and condition check the remaining objects. Almost done!