Date：Since 2024-04-25
Location：Shanghai Museum on People's Square, Exhibition Gallery (4th Floor)

On September 26^th, 2023, a grand donation ceremony was held at the Shanghai Museum, during which Mr. Robert Chang gave a total of 46 pieces of cloisonné enamelware, comprising 32 sets, as a gift to the Museum. Cloisonné enamel, a unique metal handicraft in China, is known as "jing tai lan" in Chinese, because the production technology of Chinese cloisonné enamelware reached its peak during the Jingtai period of the Ming dynasty with products at their most exquisite and beautiful.

The term "jing tai lan" (literally "the blue of the Jingtai period") first appeared in the archives of the Office of Workshops under the Imperial Household Department of the Qing court. This type of handicraft involves soldering or pasting various patterns made of flattened copper or bronze wires onto a copper base, filling the patterns with colored enamel, and firing them. The Qing dynasty marked another peak in Chinese cloisonné enamel craftsmanship. At the Yangxin Palace, an Office of Workshops was established, dedicated to producing various imperial utensils. In the Office, there was a Workshop of Enamelware. During the Qianlong period, the production of "jing tai lan" experienced unprecedented development, with production bases not only within the Office of Workshops but also in important locations such as Guangzhou and Yangzhou.

Mr. Chang has recently made another gift of 9 pieces of cloisonné enamelware to the Shanghai Museum, bringing the total number of donated items to 55. These pieces display a rich variety of types, including furnishings, daily necessities, and stationery items, spanning from the Ming dynasty to the late Qing and Republic of China periods. Particularly noteworthy are the works from the Workshop of Enamelware in the Kangxi and Qianlong periods, which vividly demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship of the cloisonné enamelware in the imperial palaces. These precious artworks provide important materials for multidimensional exploration and exhibition of the history of cloisonné enamelware, making them indispensable for promoting relevant research.

Mr. Robert Chang, born in 1927 in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, hails from a family with a rich artistic and antique background. His grandfather, Zhang Yiru, was a renowned bamboo carving artist in the Jiangnan region, while his father, Zhang Zhongying, was a well-known antique dealer in Shanghai during the Republic of China period, operating his shop "Juzhenzhai" on the Bund. In 1948, Chang went to Hong Kong and established his own shop, "Yongyuanhang" in the 1950s. With his legendary experiences, he became an important contemporary Chinese art collector, exerting significant influence on ancient art collection and auctioneering in China and overseas. Chang played a pivotal role in turning Hong Kong into a prominent trading center for Chinese art in the latter half of the 20^th century. With a rich collection spanning traditional Chinese calligraphy, painting, jade, and cloisonné enamelware, he has significantly influenced and promoted the focus of collectors worldwide on the collection and research of cloisonné enamelware from different historical periods.

Mr. Chang has long been concerned about and supportive of the development of the Shanghai Museum. Upon learning about the relatively limited collection of cloisonné enamelware at the Museum, he expressed his intention to donate the treasures he had collected over the long years to enrich the Museum’s collection.

We hereby extend our most sincere gratitude to Mr. Robert Chang for his act of generosity.

Cloisonné Enamel Vase in the Form of gu (wine vessel)

Cloisonné Enamel Seated Northern Barbarian Tribesmen (in pair)

Cloisonné Enamel Incense Burner with the Animal Mask Design

Cloisonné Enamel zun (wine vessel) in the Form of Elephants and Mahouts (in pair)

Cloisonné Enamel Vase with the Lotus-scroll Design

Cloisonné Enamel Table Screens with Depictions of Butterflies (in pair)

Cloisonné Enamel Incense Burners with the Flower-and-bird Design and Elephant-head-shaped Feet (in pair)