"Sparkle and Charm: Canton Enamels of the Qing Dynasty" is the Hong Kong’s first art promotion project supported by the China National Arts Fund. The Art Museum also showcases an art show "Sparkle and Charm: Contemporary Enamel Art" with jewellery design workshop Loupe at PMQ. The two exhibitions showcase a host of world-class painted enamelware of the Qing dynasty and innovative contemporary enamel artworks.

Painted enamelware, a translucent or opaque substance made from glass and other materials that is applied as ornament to the surface of metals, porcelain, glass, etc., was introduced from Europe to China during the late 17th century (the early Qing dynasty). It enthralled the Kangxi Emperor, who instructed the imperial workshops to develop the enameling technology, reproduce the enamels, and apply them on metals, porcelain, and glass. In the process, craftsmen from Canton, now Guangzhou, and Western missionaries who were familiar with the enameling techniques, glass making and painting skills were recruited into the imperial workshops, to produce enamel works.

These painted enamels with Chinese and Western elements were mainly for the emperors’ use and for imperial gifts, as well as for export and home markets. Rarely do these ancient artefacts from the past centuries reach a wide audience these days, apart from a few exhibits at the China’s palace museums and a few museums in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

To preserve the legacy of enamel art and raise the public’s interest in it, CUHK’s Art Museum and Loupe will organise a series of DIY workshops and talks alongside the exhibitions. Enjoy the exhibitions and programmes! 

All members of the public are welcome. Free admission to the exhibitions. 

Sparkle and Charm: Enamel Art Tuesday Lectures (Conducted in Putonghua / Cantonese) 
Enamel Art Workshops  (Conducted in Cantonese) 
Videos about the exhibition Sparkle and Charm 

Click here to view details of the exhibition "Sparkle and Charm: Canton Enamels of the Qing Dynasty" @Art Museum, CUHK