Taiwan Masterpieces Exhibition in Japan Uncertain

A photo of jadeite cabbage with insects

Taipei's Palace Museum has denied the report that famous masterpieces at the Museum, including the "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects," will be displayed in Japan next year, according to the latest report in Taiwan.

The museum said the discussion with Tokyo National Museum is still going on and the exhibit list will be announced once a contract is signed, it added.

A report on Thursday cited the head of Taiwan's legislature Wang Jin-pyng at a press conference in Japan, saying that more than 200 pieces, including the famous masterpiece "Early Spring" by Guo Xi from the Song Dynasty (960-1279), "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects" and the "meat-shaped stone," have been selected to be exhibited by Taipei's Place Museum and the Tokyo National Museum.

The "cabbage" is a piece of jadeite carved into the shape of a Chinese cabbage, with a locust and katydid camouflaged in the leaves. The sculpture is considered an allegory for female virtue, with the white stalk symbolizing purity, the leaves denoting fertility and abundance, and the locust and katydid representing children.

As the most famous work at Taipei's Palace Museum, it was probably a dowry gift to the imperial Consort Jin for marrying the Qing dynasty emperor Guangxu (1871-1908) in 1889.