A porcelain collection exhibition entitled “Quintessence of Imperial Kiln Porcelain of the Ming Dynasty from the Palace Museum Collection” (御瓷菁華—故宫博物院藏明代御窯瓷器) is on display at Macau Museum of Art (MAM) until March 6.
The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) and the Palace Museum in Beijing, in conjunction with the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), Macau Foundation (FM) and Macao Daily News.
According to a statement by the museum, the exhibition consists of 120 “representing pieces” from the Ming Dynasty’s (1368-1644) Hongwu (洪武) and Wanli (萬曆) periods (1368-1620). The statement pointed out that the exhibition aims to engage the public by giving a more comprehensive understanding of the porcelain made during the Ming Dynasty and its artistic achievements.
The statement underlined that the Ming Dynasty’s royal court used large amounts of ceramics for decoration, daily living, religious rituals, and internal and external tributes. The statement said that the Palace Museum, located at the former site of the Forbidden City of the Ming and Qing dynasties, is a national museum, with the largest collection of porcelain from the Ming Dynasty’s imperial kilns.
An exhibition board quotes Palace Museum Director Wang Xudong (王旭東) as saying that the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) is a significant historical period for the development of Chinese ceramics. Wang points out that the imperial kiln produced a large number of renowned artworks praised by the later generations. The imperial kiln developed the Jingdezhen (景德镇) porcelain production technology and the diversification of its artistic styles. It has turned Jingdezhen into a national porcelain production centre since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Wang underlines. Jingdezhen is a city in north-eastern Jiangxi province. It is also known as the nation’s “Porcelain Capital” because it has been producing Chinese ceramics for at least a millennium.
According to a separate statement by the Cultural Bureau (IC) last week, there will be a series of educational promotion activities this month about the exhibition. The activities comprise three talks in Putonghua by Imperial Palace experts such as “The Development and Identification of the Ming Dynasty’s Doucai Porcelain” (明代鬥彩瓷器的發展與鑑定). Doucai (斗彩) is a technique in painted Chinese porcelain, where parts of the design, and some outlines of the rest, are painted in underglaze blue, and the piece is then fired.
The statement said that the events are suitable for everyone and are free admission. Residents can register via link www.icm.gov.mo/eform/event until tomorrow. The statement noted that the talks will also be available live online at www.MAM.gov.mo.
The exhibition in the 4th floor gallery of the museum at the Macau Cultural Centre complex runs until March 6. It opens daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (no admission after 6:30 p.m.). It is closed on Mondays but open on public holidays. Admission is free. For details, visit http://www.mam.gov.mo/e/exhibition.
Guided tours conducted in Cantonese are available for the public at weekends and public holidays at 3 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. In addition, an interactive zone is available for visitors interested in knowing more.
Moreover, the museum also offers two prize games which include an online game that gives visitors a chance to win souvenirs of the Forbidden City Culture. The online game runs until February 16. For more details, visit https://www.mam.gov.mo/game/2022/
All visitors to the museum must wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code.
Photos: Ula Cheang and Camy Tam
