In the 19th century, merchant sailing to China became widespread. Also from Fanø both ships and sailors came all the way to the Middle Kingdom! Many became deeply fascinated by Chinese culture, arts and crafts.
Over the summer, Fanø Art Museum will become a Chinese treasure trove, when 22 Chinese works from the National Museum's collection will be shown outside Copenhagen for the first time. Here they take the guests to the Middle Kingdom in the 17th and 19th centuries. Here we experience the most important meeting places between Europe and China during the period. We look into the rich river culture on the Pearl River, and as something very special, we get behind the trading scene in which the European merchants operated, all the way to the places where the tea, silk, cotton and porcelain were produced. Also, the Qianlong Emperor (1711-1799) greets us through his calligraphy, perhaps protected by the demon hunter Zhong Kui, who also appears in the exhibition.
At the same time as the opening of the exhibition, Fanø Art Museum publishes the catalog China on Fanø – Chinese treasures from the National Museum in collaboration with Gads Forlag. The catalog was written by a museum inspector, Ph.D. Benjamin Asmussen from M/S Museet for Søfart, who for a number of years has researched and communicated Danish-Chinese relations.
What the sailor brought home from China
Fanø Museum
June 3rd - October 20th
The many sailors who sailed on long voyages in the 19th century were often away for several years. It was therefore always a lot exciting to see what was brought home to boyfriends, wives and children. It also meant that even a modest fan island home was always exciting to visit.
At Fanø Museum, from 3 June to 20 October, you can see an exhibition of gifts brought by sailors home from China. In the fine living room, we cover a fine tea table with Chinese porcelain.
