Medelhavsmuseet - Exhibitions

During the spring and summer, the Mediterranean Museum (Medelhavsmuseet) exhibits the world’s finest blue and white Chinese porcelain.
The exhibition has been made possible through a unique loan from the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art in Istanbul. The Mediterranean Museum has been permitted to borrow 25 splendid pieces of the rare blue and white porcelain and celadon from the Yuan and early Ming dynasties, 14th and early 15th century.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by her Majesty Queen Silvia and will open for the general public on 12th April.

The first porcelain to come to Europe will be on display in the exhibition. The Ottoman sultans introduced Chinese porcelain to Europe and were the first to use it for ceremonial festivities. That explains why the world’s most celebrated collections of early Chinese blue and white porcelain and celadon are found in Istanbul.

Porcelain is a Chinese invention, and the Chinese had a monopoly on its manufacture for a thousand years; from the Tang dynasty up until the 18th century, when the first successful copies were made in Europe. The exhibition shows how, through trade, the mutual influence between East and West created the blue and white porcelain, today known all over the world.

A catalogue of 255 pages, colour photos and articles by international experts has been produced. More information: www.medelhavsmuseet.se

PORCELAIN FROM THE TOPKAPI PALACE MUSEUM AND THE MUSEUM OF TURKISH AND ISLAMIC ART, ISTANBUL

Press release

For press images or more information about the exhibition, please contact Head of information Andreas Lundell on +468-519 553 73, andreas.lundell@medelhavsmuseet.se
www.medelhavsmuseet.se/blavitt