Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article news.gov.hk
Valuable purple clay tea ware on display to celebrate Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware's 30th anniversary (with photos)
************************************************************

     Marking the 30th anniversary of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware, an exhibition titled "Gems of Yixing Tea Ware from the Nanjing Museums" will open tomorrow (March 26) to launch a series of celebration events.

     The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Nanjing Museum, and organised by the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. Featuring 64 sets of Ming, Qing and contemporary purple clay tea ware from the Nanjing Museum and the Nanjing City Museum, the exhibition will allow visitors to see how the purple clay tea culture has evolved and appreciate the fine creations of many famous potters.

     Speaking at the exhibition's opening ceremony at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware today (March 25), the Under Secretary for Home Affairs, Ms Florence Hui, said that Dr K S Lo had advocated the establishment of Asia's first museum to collect and display tea ware in Hong Kong 30 years ago, and also generously donated more than 600 sets of tea ware collected from China and overseas to the museum to promote Chinese tea culture. Over the years, the museum has played a key role in promoting tea culture by sharing its collections with the public through various exhibitions.

     Ms Hui also noted that before the museum's establishment, Dr Lo had begun his friendship with the then Associate Director of the Nanjing Museum, Mr Song Boyin, a renowned purple clay ware expert, who was invited by Dr Lo to give a lecture in Hong Kong in 1981. The new exhibition features purple clay tea ware from the Nanjing Museum to commemorate the friendship between these two respected pioneers.

     Other officiating guests included the Executive Chairman of Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd, Mr Winston Lo; the Associate Director of the Nanjing Museum, Mr Wang Qizhi; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Miss Eve Tam.

     Purple clay tea ware, which dates back to the Song dynasty, was very popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It gained popularity and matured in the Ming dynasty with a number of renowned artists, while its craftsmanship and development were elevated to a higher level during the Qing dynasty. This exhibition will showcase purple clay tea ware from the Nanjing Museum, which is renowned for its purple clay collections. Exhibits also include the earliest datable Yixing teapot - a persimmon-pedicel-patterned purple clay ware teapot with a handle over the top that was discovered in a Ming tomb and is now in the collection of the Nanjing City Museum.

     Also on exhibit are teapots by famous 20th century makers including Wang Yinchun, Pei Shimin, Gu Jingzhou, Zhu Kexin and Jiang Rong. These pieces illustrate not only the excellent skills of these potters, but also the evolution of artistry in purple clay ware and Chinese tea culture.

     Members of the public should not miss other celebration activities including a Tea Carnival to be held on the lawn outside the museum during the Easter holiday, and sharing sessions of purple clay tea ware appreciation by experts and scholars from April to June. In addition, a series of parent-and-child activities will be held during the summer holiday, allowing kids and parents to learn more about Dr Lo and the museum.

     The exhibition will run from March 26 until July 10. For more information about the exhibition and the celebration activities for the 30th anniversary of the museum, please visit the Hong Kong Museum of Art's website at hk.art.museum, or call 2869 0690 or 2869 6690.

Ends/Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Issued at HKT 17:42

NNNN

Photo Photo Photo Photo Photo
Print this page