While important relics revealing the grandeur of ancient Rome are on display at the National Museum of China, some more light-hearted artifacts are shown at a smaller exhibition, also being held at the museum.

The exhibition, which runs until July 31, features dresses, shoes and women's accessories made in Venice from the 13th to the 18th century.

The most fabulous feature of the exhibition is the display of more than 50 pairs of shoes.

Titled Arts and Crafts of Fashion in Venice, the show is presented by the Italian Trade Commission and the Master Shoe-makers' Association of Brenta, Italy.

Besides the fantastic shoes of various styles, the materials used to make shoes, including velvets, brocades and embroidered silk are also on display as well as buttons and laces.

About 20 ladies' dresses of amazing beauty and 15 men's robes and suits are also included.

A blue taffeta silk adolescent's dress in the exhibit, made in Venice around 1760, is embroidered with golden, white, pink and violet silk and silver threads.

Folding fans made of bobbin lace, purses woven of silver thread or embroidered satin silk, mittens made of embroidered white or green silk, stockings knitted with salmon pink silk thread, and three-cornered hats woven from black wool and trimmed with golden lace are also on display.

"Through these exhibits, six centuries (from 1200 to the end of 1700) of the history of the Republic of Venice are revealed, at a time when the art and fashion trade was regarded as a representation of the values of Venice," said Ugo Calzoni, managing director of the Italian Trade Commission.

(China Daily June 18, 2004)