Eastern Block, First Floor

Far Eastern Collection: Chinese

The Far Eastern art collection in the Salar Jung Museum is sizeable, varied and could easily rank as the foremost of its kind in South, South East Asia and Australasia. The arts of China and Japan are well represented in these collections compromising around 5000 objects. It is said that Salar Jung III acquired about 40% of his collection and 60% was family heirloom.

About 960 objects of China and Japan have been displayed in the Museum in the four galleries on the 1st floor. The account of Chinese art in Salar Jung museum should necessarily commence with the remarkable collection of Chinese porcelain dating from 12th to 19th century and it stands in comparison with Chinese porcelain collection of the world repute outside China. The museum possesses nearly 300 pieces of Celadon ware which represent the earliest Sung (AD 960-1279), Yuan (AD 1279-1386), Ming (AD 1386-1644) and Ching (AD 1644-1912) periods.

The earliest examples of this collection are two plates, the former bearing a raised dragon and a fish and the latter bearing a dragon relief in the center. Both are datable to the 12th and 13th centuries of Sung period. Among the Ming celadons a large group of plates are decorated with diaper pattern in the middle and with incised peony on the border dated back to the 15th century. The museum has in its possession two beautiful jars with decoration in bands of floral motifs of Chengate period (AD1506-21).

The Chinese gallery also displays huge silk embroideries of late Ming dynasty (17th cent) one of them depicting the Taoist God of longevity and the other a messenger announcing the results of a university. The Museum has in its possession examples of 18th century Chinese Jade carving which bespeak of the mastery and skill of the Chinese carver. There are elaborately carved Jade boxes with Chin Lung marks, and a stand in the form of three intertwined dragon lizards of the Chin Lung period.