PEM in an Hour
15. Porcelain Case
Where does your eye go? Mine always goes to the carp tureen! Imagine being served soup from such a fantastic creation! PEM’s Asian Export Art collection, foremost in the world, explores cross-cultural exchange as a catalyst for creativity and celebrates the interplay of commerce and creative expression. These objects connected societies and created a complex global economy that continues to shape our world today. The Asian Export collection is best known for its holdings of Chinese and Japanese porcelain. This wall displays examples of these pieces that people went to great lengths to own. But these things came at a cost. Elsewhere in the gallery, you'll find videos and interactives that tell stories of greed and corruption. The video in the middle of the room looks at the uncomfortable truth that many of these works of art were originally purchased with profits derived from the illegal opium trade. During the 1800s, millions of people in India and China were devastated by opium, a foreshadowing of today’s opioid crisis.
Now let's exit this gallery and head straight across through the doors. Turn right and you'll walk through Anila Agha’s fantastic installation that bathes you in light and shadow. Notice how you become part of the artwork as you move through. Keep walking and you'll enter East Hall.