To commemorate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and China, as well as the 2024 Franco-Chinese Year of Cultural Tourism, the Guimet Museum in Paris has staged a glamourous exhibition titled Ming Gold: Splendors and Beauties of Imperial China. Running from September 18 to January 13, the exhibition offers a stunning insight into the artistry of Chinese goldsmithing during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

Featuring 134 exquisite pieces, including ornaments and vessels from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the exhibition, co-organized with the Qujiang Museum of Fine Arts in Xi'an, allows visitors to explore a level of craftsmanship rarely seen elsewhere.

During the Ming era, goldsmithing reached new heights of sophistication and delicacy, marking a golden age in Chinese civilization characterized by a baroque aesthetic in jewelry design reflecting the dynasty's grandeur.

Today, few gold artifacts from the Ming period remain. This exhibition, made possible through exceptional loans from China’s Qujiang Fine Arts Museum, encourages visitors to delve beyond mere aesthetics to understand the role of gold in the Ming dynasty, the techniques of goldsmithing, and the significance of various motifs and their official symbolism.