Special Exhibition Decoding the Royal Kilns: Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty Kicks off

The Exhibition Decoding the Royal Kilns: Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, jointly organized by Hunan Provincial Museum and Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology kicked off in the New Xiangjiang District Planning Exhibition Hall in November 15. In order to better interpret the historical significance of the imperial porcelains and unveil their mystery, the Opening Ceremony & Appreciation Activity was held by Hunan Provincial Museum on the first day of the exhibition.

The Appreciation Activity was presided over by Li Jianmao, deputy director of Hunan Provincial Museum. Altogether 50 people were invited to attend the activity, including leaders from related government departments at the provincial & municipal levels, members of the Hunan Provincial Museum and visitors. The Appreciation Activity consisted of two parts: visiting the gallery and on-scene observation. Guided by Fang Zhaoyuan, a porcelain expert and curator of the exhibition from Hunan Provincial Museum, the participants visited the exhibition with great interest. This opportunity enabled them to observe the exhibits at close range, and deepen their understanding of the exhibits from different perspectives, such as the idea of curating the exhibition, and the decorating techniques. Moreover, they got the chance to exchange ideas face to face with Jiang Jianxin, head of Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology.

Li Jianmao, deputy director of Hunan Provincial Museum, is delivering a speech

The Exhibition Decoding the Royal Kilns: Imperial Porcelains of the Ming Dynasty, features two aspects: the porcelains and their history. It aims not only to display the beauty of the craftsmanship and decoration of the imperial porcelains, but also to reveal the system of royal kilns, the preferences of the emperors and the culture of the imperial court, etc. The exhibition adopts such a concept: “from a part to a whole”, that is to enable the visitors to enhance their general understanding of history by presenting the details related to imperial porcelains. What’s more, several masterpieces collected by Hunan Provincial Museum are also displayed in the exhibition, including Blue-and-white porcelain vase with the design of figures of Yuan Dynasty, and Blue-and-white porcelain plate with the design of lotus flowers and double fishes. A complete view of the history of the technology of producing porcelains in Jingdezhen is presented. Moreover, as for the design of the exhibition, the excavated porcelains and those passed down from generation to generation are exhibited together with labels interpreting their differences, so as to strengthen their sense of history.

Jiang Jianxin, head of Jingdezhen Institute of Ceramic Archaeology, is interpreting the imperial porcelains

Participants observe the imperial porcelains at close range

In addition, in order to enrich this exhibition, Hunan Provincial Museum has designed a series of educational activities, including: stories of and paintings on the imperial porcelains, lectures delivered by experts, family day activities. For more detailed information, please log on the official website of Hunan Provincial Museum: http://www.hnmuseum.com

This exhibition runs through January 15, 2015 (closed on Mondays). It is held in the New Xiangjiang District Planning Exhibition Hall, with free admission.