Calendar of Events | What's New   Current Exhibits   Rising Lotus: Exquisite Vietnamese Blue and White Wares from the Sea Dates: 2009/10/31 ~ 2010/03/14 Gallery: Chiayi Municipal Museum Visit website   In Southeast Asia, porcelain from Vietnam has been developed into a very sophisticated and fascinating industry. In addition to the favorable geographic location and the surrounding natural resources, Vietnamese artisans had the ability to master the skill of ceramic making. For example, during the 14th century, China and Vietnam were the only two countries capable of producing blue and white porcelain, thereby allowing the footprints of Vietnamese blue and white wares to travel across the world by means of trade. For the future Southern Branch in Chiayi, the National Palace Museum has worked ceaselessly to acquire Asian artworks. This fine exhibition uses thirty-eight carefully selected works from the collection to represent Vietnamese ceramic culture. The collected Vietnamese blue and white porcelain dates from the 15th to 16th centuries, a period that approximately corresponds to the mid-Ming dynasty in China. Besides one or two works of art, the vast majority of the porcelain was found at the bottom of the ocean on sunken ships, alluding to the busy oceanic trade activities of the time. Thus, the items in this exhibition not only show the revolutionary and innovative character of Vietnamese porcelain, they also demonstrate a multi-faceted view of Asian culture. Like a lotus rising from the water, this exquisite exhibition of Vietnamese blue and white wares will emerge in Chiayi, giving residents the pleasure of being first to experience the plentiful and rich cultural features of Asia through Vietnam.   Back to Menu   Copyright © National Palace Museum. 221 Chih-shan Rd., Sec. 2; Shih-lin, Taipei, 11143, TAIWAN +886-2-2881-2021 service01@npm.gov.tw