Suzhou – The exhibition Gold: The Treasured Metal Linking Eastern and Western Civilizations is open at the Wu Museum in Suzhou, China, until 6 January. It has been organised in collaboration with Palazzo Madama – Museum of Ancient Art in Turin, with support from the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai and the Fondazione Torino Musei. The exhibition is curated by Chen Zenglu, Director of the Wu Museum; Giovanni Carlo Federico Villa, Director of Palazzo Madama; and Francesco D’Arelli, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai. It features more than 190 works and artefacts from Palazzo Madama and eight leading Chinese museum and heritage institutions: the Tibet Museum, Sanxingdui Museum, Gansu Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Tongliao Museum (Tongliao Cultural Heritage Protection Center), Shanxi Museum, Datong Museum, Changzhou Museum and Xuzhou Museum. Arranged into six thematic sections, the exhibition brings together coins, jewellery, sculptures, furnishings, textiles, ceramics and other objects made using gold, offering a broad perspective on the history and significance of the precious metal in China and the West. China and the wider Asian cultural sphere have played a crucial role in the movement of materials, techniques and aesthetic influences along the trade routes connecting East and West. Throughout history, however, few materials have held quite the same fascination as gold. Since antiquity, it has been regarded not merely as a symbol of wealth, but also as a material embodying universal values such as power, the divine and eternity. In this sense, gold has served as a shared language, transcending geographical, temporal and cultural boundaries. The exhibition explores the significance of this precious metal and its role in fostering dialogue between Chinese and Western civilisations. (9colonne)