The luster of lacquerware through history

An ongoing exhibition at the Shanghai Museum showcases lacquerware not only as a crown jewel of Chinese civilization but also as a silent witness to cultural exchanges across East Asia.

When Ruby Vies with Emerald: Exquisite Lacquer of the Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties, running at the Shanghai Museum on People's Square until Nov 13, features 127 treasured artifacts. Among these, 112 are Chinese lacquerware pieces that have been passed down as great treasures in Japan, alongside 15 selected pieces unearthed in China.

Jointly hosted by the Shanghai Museum and the Tokyo National Museum, the exhibition marks the latest achievement in the collaboration between the two institutions.

Their previous partnerships include the 2010 exhibition Masterpieces of Ancient Chinese Paintings from the Tang to Yuan Dynasty in Japanese and Chinese Collections, held at the Shanghai Museum; the 2013 Treasures of Chinese Painting from the Shanghai Museum at the Tokyo National Museum; and Journey through Asia at the Tokyo National Museum: A Joint Thematic Exhibition with the Shanghai Museum in 2016.

"Throughout the history of East Asia, Chinese culture has exerted a profound impact on its neighboring countries. Japan absorbed many aspects of Chinese civilization and developed its own distinctive traditions," says Makoto Fujiwara, executive director of the Tokyo National Museum.