Wu Pei was born into a family steeped in the rich tradition of collecting. Immersed in the passion for antique artefacts passed down through generations, he developed a profound connection with ancient Chinese porcelain. During his time studying abroad in Belgium, what began as a casual pursuit of Chinese porcelain gradually blossomed into a fervent dedication to collecting Chinese export porcelain. In the year 2014, Wu Pei realised his dream and founded the Chinese Export Porcelain Museum in the heart of his hometown Rugao in Jiangsu Province.

The masterful artistry of Chinese official kiln porcelain has long held the world’s admiration, yet Wu Pei possesses an exceptional affinity for the allure of export porcelain. To him, the essence of porcelain appreciation lies in its cultural tapestry, in the profound narratives and historical contexts that these delicate objects weave. Export porcelain carries profound cultural connotations and possesses high academic value. Wu Pei believes that imperial kiln porcelain can not compare to export porcelain in terms of the diversity of themes, the richness of cultural connotations, and the variety of expressions.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, export porcelain displayed remarkable diversity in content, with some pieces even representing a harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western influences. Regarding craftsmanship, they are no less exquisite than imperial kiln porcelain. Once, Chinese export porcelain ventured out from China to the world, and now, with China’s continuously growing cultural self-recognition, it is making a happy return to its homeland.

See more of Wu Pei’s Chinese export porcelain collection here.