Iranian artifacts including 14 celadon containers which were showcased at an exhibition in China titled, ‘Longquan of the World: Longquan Celadon and Globalization’ returned to the National Museum of Iran, said the head of the Iranian museum, Jebrael Nokandeh.

“What made this exhibition different from other similar events were the conditions and restrictions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak,” he said. “Fortunately, the process of transferring and opening of the boxes was done by following all the health and security measures.”

After a period of quarantine, the experts of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts confirmed the authenticity of the works, Nokandeh added.

Speaking about the achievements of this cultural event, Nokandeh said, “This exhibition, along with many major museums around the world, made an attempt to show only one part of the rich capacity of Iran’s cultural heritage.”

After this exhibition, many Chinese museums became enthusiastic for holding reciprocal exhibitions between Iran and China, he noted.

Among the 833 displayed artifacts, 100 items belonged to Iran, the UK, Japan, South Korea and the UAE and the remaining were from 30 countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Syria, Egypt, and other countries and regions.

Organized jointly by the Palace Museum, Zhejiang Provincial Museum, and the People’s Government of the Municipality of Lishui, the first stage of the exhibit was held in Beijing at the Forbidden City.

The celadons were once endowed to the Sheikh Saffieddin Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble, by Safavid King, Shah Abbas the Great. However, they found their way to the National Museum of Iran in the Persian calendar year 1314 (1935), the report added.  The ensemble is named after Sheikh Saffieddin Ardabili (1253-1334), who was a Sufi philosopher and leader of Islamic mystic practices.

Celadon is a greenish ceramic glaze that is used on stoneware. It is particularly valued in China, Korea, Thailand, and Japan.

Source: Iran Daily