WHAT
This is the first exhibition in Hong Kong that explores the history of royal and aristocratic patronage in the East and West, from the Museum’s permanent collection of nearly 200 outstanding artefacts and a selection of traditional decorative objects. The presentation celebrates the apex of craftsmanship, encouraged and guided by imperial cultural ambition, with the collections commissioned by the ruling class, or made by celebrated craftsmen granted warrants from the royal courts of Austria, China, Denmark, England, France, and Japan.

WHY
By presenting works created in royal taste and those with direct royal provenance, the exhibition takes an international approach to craftsmanship. Exploring a special essence of East and West aesthetics, it breaks down the boundaries between art and materiality, encouraging viewers’ exploration of these inherent values and to witness to the savoir-faire of ornaments over the centuries.