EVENTS
Event Highlights
“The Wanli Shipwreck: Blue and White Porcelain in Global Trade” Exhibition Guided Tour & Tea Gathering
2025-09-11
To deepen public’s understanding of the popularity and significance of the blue and white porcelain during the Age of Exploration, the Maritime Silk Road Society organized a visit to the Guwei Museum for a guided tour of “The Wanli Shipwreck: Blue and White Porcelain in Global Trade” Exhibition and a tea gathering at the museum’s coffee shop on 11 September.
The Maritime Silk Road of China began in the Qin and Han dynasties, flourished in the Tang dynasty, and continued into the Qing dynasty. During the Han dynasty, the Silk Road mainly traded silk, with primitive porcelain as a secondary product. However, the peak of China’s porcelain exports was between the 16th and 19th centuries. Exported porcelains became a global commodity, with two key factors, being Portugal’s maritime dominance, the emergence of large sailing ships, and the subsequent establishment of the East India Companies. In the mid-fifteenth century, European fleets continued to explore new territories and trade routes, ushering in the Age of Exploration that swept the world.
The blue and white porcelain, which originated in the Tang Dynasty and matured during the Yuan Dynasty, rapidly rose to prominence in the Ming Dynasty replacing traditional celadon and white porcelain as the dominant ceramic ware. Against the backdrop of the 16th-century Age of Exploration, the blue and white porcelain became a ubiquitous commodity, exported and marketed globally. The exhibition showcases blue and white porcelains and a dozen of treasures from the Wanli shipwreck.
As the first private Museum in the Southern District, the GuWei Museum is committed to passing on Chinese and foreign traditional culture to the next generation by organizing exhibitions and cultural and educational activities.
