FANTASY WORLD – CHINOISERIE

25/5 ~ 18/8|Daily, 10am to 6pm (closed on Mondays)     Macao Museum     MOP 15 (for information on discounts, please contact the Macao Museum)

Beginning in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), European missionaries journeyed to China, bringing Chinese philosophy, religions, sciences, technology and art back with them to Europe. This instigated a long era of sinophilia, lasting from the beginning of the 17th century to the end of the 18th century. Artifacts from China were of great interest to Europeans keen to imitate Chinese art and lifestyle. This fashion, dubbed Chinoiserie, permeated many facets of European life, including day to day objects, furniture, gardening and architecture. Fantasy World – Chinoiserie traces the origins of Chinoiserie and its influence in France, portraying Europeans’ knowledge and recognition of Chinese culture in this era.

Some eighty valuable items, among them paintings, prints, ceramics and tapestries, have arrived on loan from institutions such as Les Arts Décoratifs – Musée des Arts décoratifs (Paris), Musée du Louvre – Département des Arts graphiques, Cité de la Céramique – Sèvres et Limoges, Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’archéologie (Besançon) and Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A..