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BEIJING, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The Shanghai Museum - working with the Palace Museum in Taipei - has mounted an exhibition of porcelain made during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most of the more than 160 pieces were produced during the Ming and Qing dynasties and have never been shown to the public before.
The pieces on display include elaborately decorated dishes, vases, jars, teapots, incense burners and even a double-spouted cruet that was used to hold oil and vinegar. The Ming Dynasty section of the show features porcelain from China that was exported across Asia and Europe. During the Qing Dynasty, the porcelain trade was dominated by the East India Company which sold goods across Europe and the Americas.
The show includes a number of pieces of Armorial porcelain, unique works decorated with the arms of families, religious or military organizations, which were made to order for customers in the Netherlands, Britain, Sweden and India.
Lyu Chenglong, researcher from Palace Museum said:"We hope this exhibition will offer a glimpse into the basic features and evolution of the Chinese porcelain trade in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and further our understanding of the diversified requirements and tastes of different markets. Many exhibits have distinctive and exotic flavors."
Lu says research into exported Chinese porcelain has be slow in recent years due to a lack of specimens. But a number of discoveries of ancient Chinese porcelain from shipwrecks along trade routes over recent years have improved the situation greatly. Some exported porcelain has made its way back to China, occasionally through donations by overseas collectors.
"At that time, it was not easy to survive the Maritime Silk Road. Merchants had to spend almost a year to reach China, and another year back. But the profit was so huge. For example, when Swedish merchants sold the porcelain back in their own country, the net profit was equal to a country's GDP in a year."
The exhibition will run until January 4, and admission is free.
(Source: CNTV.cn)e
