the National Museum of Ancient Art
The exhibition, Reflections of Maritime Connections: 16th–19th Century Sino-Portuguese Cultural Exchange, will be presented at the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) from November 2025 to March 2026, offering an inspiring view of the centuries-long relationships between Portugal and China.
We would like to acknowledge the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Palace Museum for their timely organisation of this event, in which we have participated with great pleasure alongside the Orient Foundation. We are also grateful for the kind support of the Macao Government Tourism Office, the Macao Foundation, and the Macao Daily News.
We are deeply committed to this project, presenting a series of artefacts at the MAM, celebrating the 26th anniversary of Macao’s return to China. These pieces testify to the privileged trade relationships established between Portugal and China since the 16th century.
Ceramic production serves as a prime example of the exchanges between the West and the East over time. This shared passion reflects a common perspective, and the continued trade in ceramics established a lasting link, thanks to its highly prized presence in Portuguese interiors throughout the centuries.
The 37 exhibits, including 26 Chinese porcelain pieces and 11 Portuguese faience pieces, demonstrate how ancient Chinese art was received with admiration, leading to the adaptation of its decorative language to more accessible means of production, thus reaching a wider segment of the Portuguese population. Such decorative appropriation is proof of the enthusiasm with which Chinese porcelain was received in Portugal and throughout Europe.
This exhibition brings together a significant set of pieces from the collections of the Palace Museum (Beijing), the National Museum of Ancient Art and the Orient Foundation (Lisbon), as well as the Macao SAR’s Cultural Affairs Bureau.
The exhibition is the outcome of the joint efforts of Leong Wai Man, the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau; and Wang Xudong, the Director of the Palace Museum. It was conceived and prepared by professionals whom we would like to acknowledge: scientific advisor Wang Guangyao and curator Zhang Han from the Palace Museum; the curator Lou Tai Seng and the whole team at the Macao Museum of Art; as well as Rafael Alfenim and Cristina Roquette from the National Museum of Ancient Art.
Maria de Jesus Monge
Director of the National Museum of Ancient Art