Chinese Heritage

Chinese culture and history through European heritage collections

While exploring Chinese works of art, it is definitely true that there’s more to it than meets the eye.

The Chinese symbolic language goes far beyond the boundaries of the physical world.

China has been known as a nation of creativity, invention, skill and innovation for centuries.

Even the simplest object often conveys a long and interesting history: that can be said of china or porcelain pottery.

The link between physical health and mental wellbeing permeates Chinese culture.

Many Chinese objects preserved in Europe were originally acquired by travellers who visited the Far East.

Through the lens of early Western photographers, China seems to rest under a glow of timelessness and sacral reverence

Summer reading tips inspired by the land of the dragon

Exploring the stereotypical way Chinese women have been portrayed in Western media

Produced by Chinese craftsmen, these paintings were souvenirs that symbolised global trade

When China was "à la mode" in the West

The Empress Dowager Cixi ruled China in the latter half of the 19th century, the last woman to rule China

This native of China is believed to be the most faithful bird species in the world

These iconic ships have long been one of the defining symbols of Chinese naval warfare, travel and trade.

Chinese jewelry can be immensely intricate and richly decorated.

One of the most popular Buddhist figures, Guanyin stands for mercy and compassion.

In Chinese mythology, the dragon is not a force of evil but a beneficent creature, inhabiting the skies and the seas.

This gallery explores how motifs and objects from China took over the West and elegantly influenced its tastes

The cloud collar is a Chinese four- or eight-lobed ornamental piece of fabric boasting an intricate pattern.

The beautifully pleated Chinese parasol serves multiple purposes: as sunblock, dance prop, or good luck charm.

Prepare for a voyage of discovery and sail into this gallery of Chinese junks

We sliced up some of China’s most popular fruits into this colourful gallery.

Did you know that China produces almost a third of the world’s rice?

Mandarins were important public officials & bureaucrats, playing a vital role in the country's imperial history.

The idea of opposite forces complementing each other is at the core of many belief systems.

This gallery takes a sip from the rich history of tea cultivation.

These pictures, including studio portraits as well as snapshots of people and sights, are remnants of life in Hunan

Juho Toivo Koskikallio, a Finnish missionary and sinologist, was active in China in the 1st half of the 20th century.

Skillfully shaped, colored and decorated earthenware offer a glimpse into the collections of the Benaki Museum

These statues and objects portray deities, humans and animals with a plethora of imaginative decorations.

These magnificently imagined and elaborately decorated pieces of porcelain are functional and artful at once.

Two albums containing gouache on paper illustrations of professions observed in China, from Museums Wereldculturen.

A couple of German entrepeneurs travelled to China in 1965, portraying the country in atmospheric holiday photographs

Centuries-old figurines and miniatures from burial gifts preserved at Stichting Wereldculturen

Chinese water animals, from crabs to mythical creatures, in 18th-century gouaches

Industrial labor and agricultural work in powerful black-and-white photographs by Wolfgang Schröter

Hong Kong in the 1960s, through the lens of Hanna Seidel

China in coloured glass slides, collected by Carl Simon

Engravings from the book 'Viaggio in Cina' by John Thompson and T. Choutzé

These souvenir pictures from the 19th Century depict scenes from daily life, architectural features and people of China

Born in Helsinki, Osvald Sirén (1879-1966) was to become one of Sweden’s most eminent art historians.

Photography pioneer John Thomson (1837–1921) was one of the first to document his exploration of Asia in photographs

Ernest Erickson (°1893, Finland) donated part of his Chinese artefact collection to the Östasiatiska museet.

A breathtaking series of images selected German photographer’s Wolfgang Schröter’s 50,000-piece legacy

Swedish explorer and archaeologist Folke Bergman participated in Sven Hedin's Sino-Swedish Expedition in the 1930s

These 'peasant paintings' by Huxian farmers in the 1950s are vibrant tableaux depicting daily life and festive occasions

Colourful graphic styles applied to socio-political messages, from the Etnografiska museet in Stockholm, Sweden

This set of Carl Simon's glass slides from the collection of United Archives was used for a presentation on China