Hong Kong, 7 November 2012
Christie’s Hong Kong is organising from 22 to 27 November 2012 an exhibition of ceramics from the Song dynasty (960-1279), from a Japanese private collection, at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center. This collection will not be subsequently auctioned, but will travel to New York in March 2013 and London in May 2013.
It is the first time those 80 ceramic pieces – out of 200 – are being displayed to the public. As explained in the press release of the event, each and every one of these works reflects, by its form, quality and decorative technique the work of the ceramic workshops of the time. The point is to reveal to the public the major ceramic types that existed during the Song dynasty period, described by historians as the apogee of Chinese civilisation.
This exhibition thus displays various monochromic ceramics, reflecting the subtle colour-shades variations achieved in that time. A complete collection of eleven kilns is also being presented, each of them having a special function and relating the evolution of ceramic-making. Similarly, purely decorative creations are being displayed alongside useful objects that were part of the Chinese everyday life in those days.
By organising this exhibition, Christie’s auction house is willing to “educate” the artistic community. Historically, ceramics from the Song dynasty have been much appreciated by European, American and Japanese collectors at the same time. This event will therefore allow to discover the Japanese taste in Chinese ceramics.