A traditional lion head, meticulously restored at the Canadian Conservation Institute, was unveiled Thursday at the Royal B.C. Museum to mark Chinese New Year.
The head was made for use in colourful Chinese lion dances, held to celebrate special occasions. Bringing it back to its original splendour meant repairing its bamboo frame, replacing missing parts and removing a substantial layer of dirt from the fur trim, paper and other elements of the head.
The impressive artifact is believed to have been made in Hong Kong between the 1950s and the 1980s. It is part of a costume owned at one time by the Vancouver Chinese Freemasons Athletic Association.
Work on refurbishing the head began in May 2013 and involved the efforts of close to a dozen people.
“This is part of the very important history we are preserving, which is the changes of lion-head styles over time,” said Tzu-I Chung, a history curator at the museum. “Every period has their own different styles.”
She said lions are important figures in Chinese culture, and heads are made to bring attention to that.
“These are to showcase lions as the king of all animals, all walking animals, their vitality and their superiority and longevity.”
Lion dances are a big part of Chinese New Year, Chung said. “The lion dance has to happen, it is one of the most integral parts of that.”
The head was acquired by the museum after it was found at a local auction by Thomas Stark and Joyce Piercy from Out of the Mist Gallery. Chung said it had seen extensive use through the years, a sign of dedication to cultural activity.
“It was very, very worn [and] looked really sad,” she said.
Older lion heads are not commonly kept and the historic value of this one was apparent. “We knew that not very many survived time.”
Restoration would not have been possible without the support of the Ottawa-based Canadian Conservation Institute, Chung said. “We applied for them to take up this work.”
The lion head is on display in the museum’s third-floor lobby until March 6.
Chinese New Year is also being recognized at the museum with special decorations in the Chinatown section of the Old Town Gallery. The Modern History Gallery is focusing on the role that Chinese people played in B.C.’s past.
This is the year of the sheep in the Chinese calendar and it is being celebrated in Victoria’s Chinatown Sunday with a dragon dance and parade. Festivities will run from noon to 4 p.m.
