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HKMoA receives donation of over 2 000 Cantonese artefacts from Muwen Tang collection and launches inaugural exhibition (with photos)
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     The Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA) has received a generous donation of over 2 000 Cantonese and export artefacts in the Qing dynasty from Dr Simon Kwan, a local veteran art collector, founder of the Muwen Tang collection and distinguished Hong Kong architect. This marks the largest single donation the museum has ever received, encompassing over 10 distinct categories including export paintings, painted enamels, silverware, fans, ivory carvings, textiles, lacquerware and timepieces.
     
     To honour this gift, the HKMoA has designated the Muwen Tang Gallery of Cantonese and Export Art to display these exceptional treasures, and has launched the inaugural exhibition "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art". The exhibition features over 120 representative sets of donated iconic items of Cantonese art, from imperial tributes to export goods, which chart the golden age of Guangdong's artistic achievements.

     Addressing the exhibition opening and the donation and gallery inauguration ceremony held today (May 28), the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, said that although Hong Kong is a small place, it is home to many collectors who are devoted to preserving and promoting Chinese culture by building distinctive private collections - and Dr Kwan stands out as a leading example. This donation fully exemplifies his noble spirit of transforming private treasures into public heritage. The collection is comprehensive in scope and rich in variety, with each piece being exceptionally precious. It will help consolidate the HKMoA's global leadership in the collection and study of export art. Miss Law noted that export art blends Chinese and Western craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibilities. Sold worldwide during the 18th and 19th centuries, it represents a unique crystallisation of cultural exchanges between the East and West. The arrival of this precious collection in Hong Kong perfectly echoes the city's important role as an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.

     As a native Cantonese person born and raised in Hong Kong, Dr Kwan said he has always been deeply fascinated by cultural relics from Guangdong. Over the past five decades, he has had the opportunity to collect a selection of Guangdong fine artefacts from the Qing dynasty. He is deeply gratified that all the more than 2 000 pieces in his collection have now been entrusted to the HKMoA. This donation will support crucial initiatives including research, conservation and restoration, publication, storage, and exhibitions. He hopes that the donation will ultimately help the museum showcase Cantonese culture with greater representation and further promote Lingnan art.

     Other officiating guests included the Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.

     Featuring over 120 representative sets of donated items, this exhibition showcases a refined balance of Qing dynasty Cantonese craft for imperial aesthetics, export demand, and local taste, to chart the golden age of Cantonese craftsmanship on the world stage. One of the most remarkable pieces is a magnificent Qing dynasty Cantonese gilt silver filigree tea set, which once belonged to Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Crafted entirely in gilt silver filigree with intricate ornamentation, it represents the pinnacle of export silverware from the Qianlong period. It is one of only two complete sets of Qing dynasty export filigree silverware known to exist today.

     The exhibition is complemented by an interactive zone, where visitors will be transported to a 19th-century Cantonese reverse glass painting studio to experience the unique craft of reverse glass painting during the Qing dynasty through AI-powered interactive devices, and complete portrait commissions for distant patrons and embark on an artistic journey across centuries.

     The exhibition will run from May 29, 2026, to July 4, 2027, at the Muwen Tang Gallery of Cantonese and Export Art on the 3/F of the HKMoA (10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon). Admission is free. For details of the exhibition, please visit the website at hk.art.museum/en/web/ma/exhibitions-and-events/proudly-from-canton.html.
 
Ends/Thursday, May 28, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:40
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The opening of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition and the donation and gallery inauguration ceremony was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). Photo shows officiating guests (from left) the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Manda Chan; the founder of the Muwen Tang collection, Dr Simon Kwan; the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law; the Chairman of the Art Sub-committee of the Museum Advisory Committee, Professor Desmond Hui; and the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok.
The opening of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition and the donation and gallery inauguration ceremony was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law (right), presenting the Certificate of Appreciation to the founder of the Muwen Tang collection, Dr Simon Kwan (left).
The opening of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition and the donation and gallery inauguration ceremony was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, touring the exhibition.
The opening of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition and the donation and gallery inauguration ceremony was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art (HKMoA). Photo shows the Museum Director of the HKMoA, Dr Maria Mok (left), and the founder of the Muwen Tang collection, Dr Simon Kwan (right), at the gallery entrance.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows a Qing dynasty export gilt silver filigree tea set, formerly part of a European royal collection and known as the "Queen's tea service".
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows a black and gilt lacquer folding screen with a narrative figure design, the largest exhibit in the exhibition.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows a woven ivory fan with a design of phoenix and peony. The fan was a Cantonese court tribute to the imperial court.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows a gilt bronze clock with enamel and coloured glass inlay and waterfall features.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows a large embroidered panel with a flower-and-bird design on a beige ground from the Qing dynasty.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the oil painting "View of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong".
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the reverse glass painting "Enjoying a Bird's Company in a Cold Forest" from the Qing dynasty.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Photo shows the pith painting "Foreign Factories, Guangzhou" from the Qing dynasty.
The opening ceremony of the "Proudly from Canton: The Muwen Tang Collection of Cantonese and Export Art" exhibition was held today (May 28) at the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Visitors will be able to experience the unique craft of Qing dynasty Cantonese reverse glass painting through AI-powered interactive devices.