From 20 September to 26 October 2025, the Riga Art Nouveau Centre presents the exhibition “Eastern Elegance: The Kingdom of Peach Blossoms” from the Tianjin Museum collection. The exhibition reveals a fascinating dialogue between Chinese artistic traditions and the organic, decorative aesthetics of Art Nouveau.
The display showcases the refined beauty of Chinese porcelain, painting, and traditional crafts, whose flowing lines, natural motifs, and craftsmanship resonate with Art Nouveau ideals. Visitors will see works by prominent Chinese artists, including Qu Jin and Xie Shichen, grouped into three themes – landscapes, flowers and birds, and figure compositions. Some pieces stand out for their delicate precision, others for their expressive, free brushwork.
A special highlight of the exhibition is Chinese porcelain – a material invented over 3,000 years ago, whose production secrets were guarded for centuries. The display features Ming and Qing dynasty vases with intricate, fluid patterns forming harmonious compositions. Of particular note is the enameled porcelain from the Qing dynasty, whose design, colors, and decorations were personally selected by the emperor, embodying elegance, refinement, and imperial grandeur.
Tianjin Museum, founded in 1918, is one of China’s oldest museums, housing a collection of over 210,000 artifacts, including calligraphy, paintings, jade, oracle bones, coins, folk crafts, and historical documents that reflect China’s rich cultural heritage.