The history of glassmaking in China can be traced back to the Western Zhou Dynasty, spanning over two thousand years of historical ups and downs. It was not until the Qing Dynasty that glassmaking reached its peak in ancient China’s glassmaking history. The glass from the Qing Dynasty, whether in terms of the brilliance of colors, the richness of designs, or the complexity of craftsmanship, was unprecedented in the history of Chinese glass.

In 1696, the imperial glass workshop was established within the scope of the Forbidden City. The imperial glass workshop produced various glassware for the royal family as Emperor Kangxi’s edicts demanded. The glassware produced there represented the highest craftsmanship of Qing Dynasty glassmaking. During the reigns of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong emperors (1654-1796), the imperial glass workshop, embracing the thoughts absorbed from Western learning, created a noble and elegant style of glass unique to the Qing Dynasty, with transcendent freshness in glass style. Upholding Emperor Yongzheng’s edict “not to lose the traditional royal style of glassmaking”, the imperial glass workshop absorbed the advanced European glass technology brought by missionaries and strove to preserve tradition in its design aesthetics. As a result, the imperial glassware of the Qing Dynasty not only maintained the courtly grace as seen in imperial jade and porcelain, but also occasionally presented the special charm of foreign cultures.

This exhibition, “Crystal Glassware, Exquisite Grace—The Palace Museum Collection of Fine Glassware”, is the fifth major thematic exhibition jointly hosted by the Guardian Art Center and The Palace Museum. It is also the first large-scale exhibition featuring Chinese and Western glassware of the Qing Dynasty in recent years, with their related research achievements displayed for the public outside the Palace Museum. We hope to offer art enthusiasts a visual feast that blends the craft cultures of the East and West and that integrates Chinese traditions with contemporary aesthetic styles!

Exhibition Time

December 22, 2023 - March 10, 2024

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM (Closed Mondays)

Exhibition Venue

Guardian Art Center, 1st Floor

No. 1 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing