Doha: Qatar Museums will open the exhibition
"Boats Floating Afar: The Maritime Trade of Ancient Chinese Ceramics"
at the National Museum of Qatar on October 26, 2026.
Presented as part of the legacy of the
Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture, the exhibition brings together more than 120
objects from the National Museum of China along with a selection of objects
from Qatar Museums' collections, tracing more than 1,000 years of Chinese
ceramic production and maritime trade from the Tang to the Qing dynasties
(618-1911 CE) . The exhibition will be on view until February 15, 2027.
Featuring vessels, bowls, plates, and jars,
the exhibition charts developments in Chinese ceramic production alongside the
maritime routes through which these works travelled. It includes Tang dynasty
white-glazed and celadon wares, Southern Song and Yuan ceramics, Ming
blue-and-white porcelain, and richly decorated Qing dynasty pieces. Among the
objects on view are ceramics from major production centres including the kilns
of Jingdezhen, Longquan, Dehua, Changsha, and Yue.
The exhibition concludes with two
installations drawing on Qatar Museums' collections and archaeological
materials from Qatar. One includes objects connected to the wreck of the
Cirebon, a 10th-century ship discovered in the Java Sea, Indonesia. The other
features fragments of Chinese pottery excavated in Qatar, adding a local
dimension to the wider history of maritime trade.
Director of the National Museum of Qatar HE
Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Hamad Al-Thani said the exhibition marks 10 years since
the Qatar-China 2016 Year of Culture and demonstrates the depth and longevity
of the partnership between the two museums. Director of the National Museum of
China Luo Wenli said Chinese ceramics have traversed the seas since the Tang
Dynasty, opening new avenues for friendly exchanges among nations.
The exhibition represents another milestone in the cultural relationship between Qatar and China, following the National Museum of Qatar's exhibition "On the Move," which opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing in June 2026. Entry to the exhibition is free, with the museum open from 9am to 7pm, and Fridays from 1:30pm to 7pm.
Join on Rehaab Online WhatsApp Group (Click here to join the group)
Follow Rehaab Online Instagram for More Updates (Click here)
