Emperors’ Treasures Travel to Houston Museum of Fine Arts

Following a successful exhibition at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Emperors’ Treasures have traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. The masterpieces from the National Palace Museum in Taipei highlight the artistic and cultural contributions of imperial rulers in China, from the Song dynasty to the Qing dynasty. More than 160 works of art from the National Palace Museum offer a unique selection of paintings, bronzes, calligraphy, and decorative arts, including porcelain, textiles, enamels, and jade.

The exhibition presents examples of the finest craftsmanship and imperial taste, exploring the roles that eight emperors and one empress—who ruled between the early-12th-century Song dynasty and the early-20th-century Qing dynasty—had in the establishment and development of new artistic directions through the masterpieces they collected, commissioned, and in some cases created. Emperors’ Treasures outline how Chinese art came to evolve and flourish under Han Chinese, Mongol, and Manchu rulers.

These remarkable objects have rarely been displayed outside of Taipei. Selections include a calligraphy by Emperor Huizong in his distinctive style; landscape paintings by court artists of the 12th century; a “chicken cup” produced in the mid-Ming period, for centuries the most sought after of all porcelain wares because of its superb quality; fine silk tapestries little known outside of China; and the Qianlong emperor’s box of small treasures.

The exhibition is through January 29, 2017.