Glaze and glamour

Ceramics are one of the finest examples of how ancient Chinese used the best of clay and glaze to present supreme craftsmanship. The variety of shapes, motifs and colorful glazes that have been invented in history embody an eruption of creativity and rich cultural symbolism, making ceramics a synonym for the country in history.

The Museum of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Nanning is showing over 200 ceramics in its collection at a permanent exhibition, Glamorous Glazes. It features objects from famous kilns centuries back, such as the Jun kiln in Henan province, Longquan kiln in Zhejiang province, and Jian and Dehua kilns in Fujian province.

On show is an elaborately patterned jar of qinghua (blue-and-white) porcelain from the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Yuan qinghua porcelain is among the best-known and most sought-after Chinese artworks in the world, often fetching high prices at auctions. The artwork (pictured above), found in Guangxi in 1980, is depicted with elegant twining peonies and a vivid scene of Yuchi Gong, a general, saving Li Shimin, the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The exhibition is one of several shows in a new building at the museum which opened to the public in late November.

9 am-5 pm, closed on Mondays. 34 Minzu Avenue, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.0771-270-7027.