The Sir Joseph Hotung Gallery of China and South Asia opened on 14 December after a full renovation and refurbishment (some sections of the gallery have been accessible from the 10 November 2017). The display includes a new narrative for China and South Asia which brings the story up to the present day. This renovation means the British Museum can include and rotate different types of objects such as paintings, prints and textiles which need regulated conditions for display. The gallery introduces new research that will enable visitors to engage with these extraordinarily important parts of the world. With new lighting and design, the display takes visitors through the fascinating histories of a large part of the globe. The gallery presents the histories of China from 5000 BC to the present with the space divided into bays that explore Chinese history through its material culture. China’s unique and highly unusual culture

Peru has recovered 79 pre-Hispanic textiles that have been illegally located in Sweden since 1935, the ministry of culture said. In 1935, Swedish ambassador to Peru Sven Karrell acquired the fabrics hailing from the Nasca and Paracas cultures and took them to Sweden illegally — anonymously donating them to The Museum of Gothenburg, according to the Peruvian government. “Thanks to the collaboration between the foreign minister, the culture minister and the city of Gothenburg, we are celebrating the arrival of the second of the three scheduled deliveries, made up of 79 textiles,” said Jorge Arrunategui, deputy minister of cultural heritage and cultural industries. The delivery included wraps, cloths and decorative textile borders from the pre-Hispanic Paracas culture, an Andean society known for their unique composition, colors and weaving techniques using cotton and wool from vicunas — the national animal of Peru, related to the llama.