Champlevé Ewer with European Figures in Landscape, Qing dynasty, reign of the Qianlong emperor,
清 乾隆 金胎內填兼畫琺瑯西洋母子圖執壺
1735–96, gold with enamel inlay, National Palace Museum, Taipei. Image © National Palace Museum

Presented by Amy Poster, curator emerita of Asian Art, Brooklyn Museum; consulting curator, Asian art, MFAH 

The exhibition Emperors’ Treasures: Chinese Art from the National Palace Museum, Taipei presents a treasure trove of emperors’ prized possessions, including works of art they created themselves. Passed from dynasty to dynasty and once sheltered in Beijing’s Forbidden City, these masterpieces of Chinese art were conveyed to Taiwan amid conflict and now reside in the National Palace Museum in Taipei.

Rarely seen outside the court at the time of their creation, these works of art inherited an aura of mystery that has fueled an enduring fascination. Characterized by their extraordinary splendor, beauty, and richness, these objects represent the highlights of China’s artistic accomplishments. In this talk, Amy Poster explores the different roles that eight rulers of the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties had in the establishment and development of new artistic directions at their courts.