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CKPR
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEABODY PLACE MUSEUM UNVEILS NEW EXHIBIT: BURIAL CAMELS

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (March 31, 2004) - Peabody Place Museum announces the addition of two rare pottery camels to an already extensive collection of Chinese art. The camels, which date back to the Tang Dynasty (618 B.C. - 906 B.C.), were once placed in the tombs of Chinese nobility to symbolize the wealth of the deceased.

"This important acquisition to the Museum represents a unique ancient tradition in Chinese history," said Nancy Knight, director of Peabody Place Museum. "The Museum is proud to display these objects for the Memphis community."

Derived from the belief that the pleasures and activities of the living world carried into the afterlife, artisans started crafting clay burial sculptures to place inside tombs as early as 206 B.C. Burial camels, like the ones on permanent loan at the Museum, are greatly coveted by collectors and have become more popular than the Tang-style horses that are predominant in many Asian art collections throughout the United States.

About Peabody Place Museum

Opened in 1998, the Museum is home to one of the largest collections of 19th century Chinese art. The permanent exhibit at the Museum includes objects created for Chinese nobility during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The collection includes intricately carved jade sculptures, beautifully crafted enamelware pieces and rare objects carved in ivory. The Museum also has smaller collections of fossils and minerals, contemporary European art glass, Russian lacquer boxes, Judaic art and more. For information on special group rates, guided tours, educational programs, teachers' packets and special event room rental, please contact the Museum at (901) 523-ARTS.