SHANGHAI - Lacquerware stands not only as a crown jewel of Chinese civilization but also as a silent witness to the cultural exchanges across East Asia. This exhibition, "When Ruby Vies with Emerald: Exquisite Lacquer of the Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties", brings together over a hundred treasures, with its primary focus on treasures passed down over generations in Japan, complemented by a selection of lacquerware unearthed in China. Together, they form a magnificent time corridor of artistic achievement.

The exhibition unfolds across six themes: (1) Plain Lacquer with Gentle Glow, (2) Carved Lacquer with Layered Motifs, (3) Magnificence Outlined in Gold, (4) Brilliance Condensed in Luster, (5) Echoes from Dust, and (6) Return of the Classic. The items on loan from Japanese institutions are largely renowned masterpieces with well-documented provenance. Some are collected in prestigious Japanese temples, some recorded in historical texts such as the Imperial Household Inventories of Japan, and others designated as Japan's Important Cultural Properties. As dazzling achievements of Chinese craftsmanship at its peak, these works serve as cultural messengers sojourning in Japan's aesthetic landscape.

Equally noteworthy are the excavated treasures housed in museums across China. Highlights include mother-of-pearl-inlaid pieces from the late Tang to the Five Dynasties, as well as Song rarities that have been found only in historical records and archaeological finds. As "first-hand materials", they shine with the lacquerware preserved in Japanese institutions, confirming the existence of such exquisite craftsmanship and offering a more comprehensive and objective presentation of the technical brilliance and historical significance of lacquer art during the Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties.

We hope that, amidst the gleam of ruby and the shimmer of emerald, this exhibition will inspire admiration for the Chinese people's vigorous pursuit of beauty, evoke a sense of shared cultural identity that transcends mountains and seas, invite appreciation of the timeless spirit of Chinese civilization embodied in the wonderful details of these masterpieces, and celebrate the enduring radiance of Chinese lacquerware as a testament to Eastern wisdom.

2025-09-26 - 2025-11-23

Black-lacquered and Mother-of-pearl-inlaid Sutra Casket, Late Tang to the Five Dynasties, 9th-10th century. Length 34.8 cm, width 13.7 cm, height 12.7 cm. Found at the Celestial Chamber on the 3rd floor of the Ruiguang Pagoda, Suzhou in 1978 © Suzhou Museum

Red-lacquered Lotus-leaf-shaped Pillow,  Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Overall height 18.0 cm, length 35.0 cm, width 27.0 cm. Unearthed from Tomb M2:1, Bashi Town, Xishan District, Wuxi © Wuxi Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology

Carved-marbled-lacquered Handled Round Fan with the Scrolling-heart-shaped-cloud Pattern, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Overall length 43.9 cm, length of leaf 25.0 cm, maximum diameter 20.0 cm, maximum diameter of handle 2.6 cm. Unearthed from the Southern Song Tomb of Zhou Yu, Maolu Commune, Jintan, Jiangsu in 1975 © Zhenjiang Museum

Carved-marbled-lacquered Box with Black Coating on the Surface and the Ruyi-shaped-cloud Pattern ,Southern Song dynasty, 13th-14th century. Diameter 16.7 cm, height 5.6 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Carved-marbled-lacquered Circular Dish with the Scrolling-heart-shaped-cloud Pattern, Southern Song dynasty, 12th-13th century. Diameter 19.2 cm, height 3.5 cm ® Tokyo National Museum

Carved-red-lacquered Rectangular Box with the Phoenix-and-peony Pattern, Southern Song dynasty, 13th century. Length 19.5 cm, width 12.3 cm, height 9.7 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Carved-black-lacquered Circular Dish with Depiction of a Pavilion and Figures, Southern Song dynasty, 12th-13th century. Diameter 31.2 cm, height 4.5 cm  © Tokyo National Museum

Red-lacquered Water-chestnut-flower-shaped Spittoon , Southern Song to Yuan dynasty, 13th-14th century. Diameter of mouth 14.3 cm, height 9.7 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Important Cultural Property. Black-lacquered and Mother-of-pearl-inlaid Dish with the Dragon-amidst-waves Pattern and a Water-chestnut-flower-shaped Lobed Rim, Yuan dynasty, 14th century. Diameter 33.0 cm, height 2.3 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Black-lacquered Twelve-petaled-flower-shaped Oval Box, Yuan dynasty, 14th century.Length 37.9 cm, width 14.8 cm, height 10.7 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Carved-red-lacquered Circular Dish with the Grape Pattern, Xuande reign (1426-1435), Ming dynasty. Diameter 20.6 cm, height 3.3 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Circular Box with Depiction of Pines, Bamboos, and Plums Filled In with Polychrome Lacquer, Xuande reign (1426-1435), Ming dynasty. Diameter 14.5 cm, height 7.1 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Sutra Casket with the Incised Interlocking-peony Pattern Inlaid with Gold, Ming dynasty, 15th century. Length 40.8 cm, width 29.1 cm, height 28.2 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Big Black-lacquered and Mother-of-pearl-inlaid Circular Box with Depiction of Willow Branches and Birds, Ming dynasty, 15th century. Diameter 42.3 cm, height 7.7 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Small Black-lacquered and Mother-of-pearl-inlaid Cabinet with Depiction of Figures, Ming dynasty, 15th-16th century. Cabinet top: length 60.4 cm, width 37.5 cm; Cabinet base: length 69.8 cm, width 37.0 cm; Cabinet height 56.0 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Polychrome-lacquered Rectangular Tray with the Incised Dragon Pattern Inlaid with Gold, 13th year of the Wanli reign (1585), Ming dynasty. Length 43.0 cm, width 22.4 cm, height 3.6 cm © Tokyo National Museum

Carved-polychrome-lacquered Circular Dish with the Dragon Pattern, 23rd year of the Wanli reign (1595), Ming dynasty. Diameter 20.5 cm, height 2.4 cm © Tokyo National Museum

The Record of Lacquer Decoration, Edo period (the original work published in 1625, Ming dynasty). Length 17.0 cm, width 24.5 cm ® Tokyo National Museum

The Record of Lacquer Decoration, Edo period (the original work published in the 5th year of the Tianqi reign, Ming dynasty). Length 18.2 cm, width 25.5 cm © Tokyo National Museum