Unearthed Yuan dynasty ceramics reveal for the first time at CUHK

The Art Museum of the Chinese University will showcase more than 400 pieces of Yuan dynasty ceramics, featuring treasures from its own collection and the Museum of Art, alongside newly excavated specimens from the Lok Ma Chau kiln site unearthed between 2023 and 2024 to the public for the first time starting on Thursday (Nov 20).

The exhibition explores the rich artistic and cultural exchanges across Eurasia and the maritime routes during the Mongol-Yuan period, helping visitors to understand the development of Yuan dynasty handicraft industries and the background of Yuan blue-and-white porcelain.

Jars with overlapping leaf pattern and phoenix design in underglaze brown, Yuhuchun vase with figural scene in underglaze blue and more than 400 Yuan ceramics, many fragments unearthed in 2023 and 2024 from the kiln site at Luomaqiao were showcased in the exhibition.

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During the opening ceremony, CUHK’s vice-chancellor and President Dennis Lo Yuk-ming said that the exhibition had drawn many leading scholars in Chinese ceramics from all over the world.

“With the help and assistance of the partners in Jingdezhen, it enabled the museum curators to ‘dig deeper’ to understand the multi-faceted productions of superior utensils for daily use and special occasions of banquets and rites,” said Lo.

The CUHK Art Museum’s research team has also collaborated with archaeologists and conservators from the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute to restore excavated ceramics.

The experts had combined advanced technology, such as combining plaster and 3D printing to create infills, which helped achieve a balance between protection and presentation.

The Second Conference of the Society of International Ceramic Studies will also be held at CUHK until Saturday, bringing experts and scholars from various fields to explore the historical development and worldwide spread of blue-and-white ceramics.