So we have been trying to go to this museum for 2 years now. 2 years! And this past Saturday we finally made it happen. The museum in question is the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm, and the exhibits ranged from the sculpture hall, which houses sculptures from the 4 main religions from the area, the "China before China (1500 - 1300 BC) exhibit, as well as "The Middle Kingdom- Imperial China".
One interesting tidbit is that the pottery collection in the "China before China exhibit" happens to be the largest collection of its kind outside of China. This is due to the fact that it was a swedish excavator who actually found the pottery. He was then able to strike a deal with China, which ended up with him being allowed to take half of the findings back home to Sweden, and to the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities. I felt very lucky indeed to have the opportunity to view such pieces.
Another thought which came to mind while meandering through the exhibits was about how much pottery and ceramics were on display. These pieces ranged in age from the 1500's B.C. to the present day. It was really a site to see as the development in shape, style, subject matter and experimentation in lacquers was all noticable.
Check out below how the ceramics develop from early 3 legged pottery to very delicate and masterfully executed sculptures.
Photos courtesy of Erik Nordén