World Ceramics:
Masterpieces from the V&A
The touring exhibition from the Victoria and Albert
Museum travels to Damascus and Istanbul.
Partners
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Khan Asaad Basha, Damascus
- Pera Museum, Istanbul
Aims
- To display 120 objects from the V&A’s ceramics collections
to new audiences in both Syria and Turkey
- To create opportunities for the exchange of expertise and
increased inter-cultural understanding
- To facilitate learning and knowledge sharing in museum
management and practices between partners in the UK and Middle
East
Project details
V&A ceramics collection
The V&A’s ceramics collections are the largest in existence and
range from ancient Egyptian artefacts and some of the earliest
examples of Chinese porcelain to contemporary studio pottery and
industrially designed ceramics.
About the exhibition
World Ceramics:
Masterpieces from the V&A explored the history of
international ceramics from 3000 BC to the present day.
The exhibition highlighted the links between all the world’s
great ceramic traditions. It also showed how international trade
and cultural exchange spread manufacturing technologies, styles and
usage – often dramatically changing the course of ceramic
history.
It concluded with a survey of 20th-century ceramics,
ranging from Russian Revolutionary porcelains to Post-Modern
ceramic sculpture. One of the key objects on display was Picasso’s
1954 vase painted with the Artist at his Easel.
The exhibition was curated by Tim Stanley, Senior Curator from
the V&A’s Asian Department (Middle Eastern).
Exhibition tour and success
World Ceramics: Masterpieces from the V&A completed
its tour in July 2009 after travelling to:
- Korean Foundation Cultural Centre, Seoul
- Hetjens Museum, Düsseldorf
- Khan Asaad Basha, Damascus
- Pera Museum, Istanbul
The exhibition was a great success and developed partnerships in
new regions for the V&A. The objects can now be seen in
the V&A’s newly redeveloped Ceramics Galleries.
Image:
The World Ceramics exhibition at the Pera Museum,
Istanbul