Free exhibition of intricately enamelled Chinese objects from the 1600s, exploring the fusion of art and technology for export to Europe.
An Enamel Revolution: China and the World opens at The Fitzwilliam Museum on Tuesday 20 October, and it's on until 21 February 2027, so there's plenty of time to fit it in. You'll find it in Gallery 26, on Trumpington Street.
The exhibition looks at how Chinese workshops developed new techniques for enamelling porcelain, glass and copper from the 1600s. It's about the fusion of art and technology: how they refined their use of colour and material, and how they adapted Chinese products for export to Europe. The objects on display are intricately detailed and technically innovative, and they cover a fair range of things you wouldn't usually see together — plates and perfume bottles alongside teapots and tableware. The whole thing is meant to show how this skilled artform was pushed to new heights.
It's a joint effort, bringing together the Fitzwilliam's own collection of Chinese art and loans from the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and other institutions. It's organised by the Art Museum of The Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Fitzwilliam Museum, with support from the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Step-free access is available to all floors.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Cambridge and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
Entry is free and you don't need to book. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and Sundays and Bank Holidays from 12pm to 5pm, with the last entrance at 4.40pm. Since it runs until February, it's one of those things you can keep in your back pocket for a rainy afternoon.
