The Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) held the opening ceremony of the special exhibition \u201cYuan Blue and White: New Discoveries from Jingdezhen\u201d today (20 November). Officiating guests included Mr Raistlin Lau, Under Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People\u2019s Republic of China; Professor Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, CUHK\u2019s Vice-Chancellor and President; Professor Anthony Chan Tak-cheung, CUHK\u2019s Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Alumni\/Community Engagement and Institutional Advancement); Ms Lillian Kiang, Chief Executive Officer, Bei Shan Tang Foundation; Dr Yanjun Weng, Director of Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute; Professor Josh Yiu Chun-chong, Director of the CUHK Art Museum; and Dr Wang Guanyu, Associate Curator (Antiquities) of the CUHK Art Museum, among others. The exhibition will be open to the public from 21 November 2025 to 29 March 2026.<\/p>\r\n
At the event, Mr Lau<\/strong> said: \u201cThe Art Museum of CUHK is to be congratulated for taking the lead to co-curate this exhibition with experts from Jingdezhen and present the discoveries of important Chinese ceramics to the world. And the international symposium on blue-and-white porcelain right after this opening ceremony will further explore and present the historical trajectory behind the artworks displayed. I applaud the University for organising scholarly art exhibitions and symposiums with the same resolve as it champions cutting-edge research in multiple academic disciplines. I also take the opportunity to thank Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute and all other supporting organisations that make this exhibition possible.\u201d<\/p>\r\n At the event, Professor Lo<\/strong> said: \u201cI\u2019m very excited that many leading scholars in Chinese ceramics from all over the world have joined us for this exhibition opening of Yuan Blue-and-White: New Discoveries from Jingdezhen, and the 3-day academic conference that follows. Blue and white porcelain has long been the symbol of China, for its elegance and sophistication. As a research university with a flagship programme in Chinese studies, our work goes beyond showcasing the beauty of China. With the help and assistance of our partners in Jingdezhen, our museum curators have literally been \u2018digging deeper\u2019 to understand the multi-faceted productions of superior utensils for daily use and special occasions of banquets and rites.\u201d<\/p>\r\n Jointly organised by the CUHK Art Museum and the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute, and sponsored by Bei Shan Tang Foundation (Lead Sponsor) and Lee Hysan Foundation (Strategic Partner and Sponsor), the exhibition focuses on Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain, highlighting archaeological discoveries from Jingdezhen in 2023 and 2024, supplemented by collections from the CUHK Art Museum and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. The exhibition aims to explore the rich artistic and cultural exchanges across Eurasia and the maritime routes during the Mongol-Yuan period, helping visitors to understand the flourishing development of Yuan dynasty handicraft industries and the background behind the emergence of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain. The popularization of Chinese porcelain demonstrated China\u2019s dynamic interactions with other cultures and the country\u2019s long-standing contribution to world civilisation.<\/p>\r\n The exhibition showcases over 400 Yuan ceramics, with many fragments newly unearthed in 2023 and 2024 from the kiln site at Luomaqiao. These precious artefacts are on public display for the first time and offer great potential for future research. The exhibition is divided into three sections: \u201cWinds from the Steppe: Development of Yuan Dynasty Ceramics\u201d, \u201cExchange and Integration: Production and Use of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain\u201d and \u201cGlobal Convergence: Overseas Consumption and the Global Influence of Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain\u201d. These sections guide visitors through a progressive understanding of Yuan dynasty history, culture and ceramic achievements; the context of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain\u2019s emergence; its production in Jingdezhen, and the technical and aesthetic exchanges in its design and manufacture; and the diversity of its uses and functions in different settings. The exhibition also introduces the overseas market for Yuan blue-and-white porcelain through the prosperous maritime trade, as well as the diversity of its overseas consumer groups, its unique cultural inclusivity and its global influence.<\/p>\r\n Exhibit highlights include Jar with overlapping leaf pattern in underglaze brown (Jizhou ware, Jiangxi province), Plate with incised lotus design and celadon glaze (Longquan ware, Zhejiang province), Jar with dragon and phoenix design in underglaze brown (Cizhou ware, Hebei province), Faceted jarlet with white glaze (Dehua ware, Fujian province), Dish with paired phoenixes in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province), Fragment of an ewer with phoenix design in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province. Excavated from the kiln site at Luomaqiao in 2023), Fragments of a meiping<\/em> vase with dragon design in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province. Excavated from the kiln site at Luomaqiao in 2023), Fragments of a meiping<\/em> vase with figural scene in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province. Excavated from the kiln site at Luomaqiao in 2023), Meiping<\/em> vase with phoenix and peony in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province. Discovered from Trowulan, East Java, Indonesia), and Yuhuchun<\/em> vase with figural scene in underglaze blue (Jingdezhen ware, Jiangxi province. Discovered from Trowulan, East Java, Indonesia).<\/p>\r\n The CUHK Art Museum\u2019s research team has collaborated with archaeologists and conservators from the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute to restore newly excavated ceramics. Their primary goal has been to reconstruct the original forms of the artefacts, including several pieces with significant missing sections, which has posed major challenges. To address these issues, experts proposed a conservation plan combining plaster and 3D printing to create infills, achieving a balance between protection and presentation. The team has striven to enable visitors to appreciate the distinctive motifs, vessel shapes, production techniques and historical development of Yuan dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.<\/p>\r\n In conjunction with the special exhibition, the Second Conference of the Society of International Ceramic Studies, \u201cThe Origin and Global Circulation of Blue and White\u201d, takes place at CUHK from today to 22 November 2025. Drawing on recent archaeological discoveries, the symposium aims to explore the origins of blue-and-white porcelain and its unique role in global trade and cultural exchange from an interdisciplinary perspective. Scholars and experts from diverse fields gather to exchange ideas and trace the historical trajectory of blue-and-white porcelain. For more details of the symposium, please visit https:\/\/www.artmuseum.cuhk.edu.hk\/en\/training\/current\/detail\/387<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n \u201cYuan Blue and White: New Discoveries from Jingdezhen\u201d exhibition
\r\n<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\t