29 August 2007
Maputo — The Património Internacional company, in which the Mozambican government is the major shareholder, opened a permanent exhibition of Chinese porcelain dated back to the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century, in the Mozambique Island, northern province of Nampula, last week.
The exhibition, a partnership with the Portuguese-based company "Arqueonautas Worldwide SA", falls under a Research and Classification Project of ancient cultural artifacts salvaged from wreckage around the Island of Mozambique.
The relics, which include dishes, bowls, among other items, are evidence of a special era in Chinese history, marked by a cultural renovation and flourishing arts, particularly on the porcelain industry.
Some of the items exhibited are unique and of incalculable cultural, historical and financial value.
Probably, this could be the first permanent exhibition of its kind in the Southern hemisphere that includes rare Chinese artifacts.
Mozambique's Education and Culture Ministry (MINEC) states in a press release received by AIM that the Maritime Museum, where this relics are being displayed, also features a number of other rare artifacts of diverse origin, including India, Europe and Africa, that have been recovered from the shipwreckage of the 'Nossa Senhora da Consolação' vessel that sunk in 1608 in the waters of Island of Mozambique.
"The items of porcelain being displayed have been salvaged from a wreckage found in 2001 in the vicinity of San Sebastian Fortress, and that were later subject to restoration because they had been lying in the bottom of the sea ever since", says the press release.
Built in the 16th century by the Portuguese colonial rulers, San Sebastian Fortress is one of the oldest and in its massive and sober military architecture, one of the most impressive monuments of the Island. It still bears witness to the island's early obtained function as a major Portuguese trading port on the sea route to India for spices and ivory at first, and later for slave trade as of the second half of the 18th century.
Also, aboard the ship "Espardarte" the salvage company found some items made of gold, including coins currently deposited in the safe of the Mozambique Central Bank. This coins will be returned to the Island once completed the works to ensure their safety at the Maritime Museum.
Since 1999, both Património Internacional and "Arquenautas Worldwide SA" invested over four million USD in sub-aquatic archaeology, under an agreement signed with the Mozambican government.
These companies have also disbursed 14.000 USD for the rehabilitation works of the Maritime Museum in Island of Mozambique.
The preparation of this exhibition counted on the invaluable collaboration of Dr. Maria Antónia Pinto de Matos, expert in Chinese porcelain from Ming Dynasty who, for several days, worked at the Maritime Museum to select and classify these relics. Mozambique's Culture National Directorate invited Matos.
The porcelain relics still bear motifs that enable to establish that they belong to the era Jiajing Emperor (1522-1566), a devote follower of Taoism.
Meanwhile, the archeological research has already been completed at both sunken ships Espadarte and Nossa Senhora da Consolação, and the findings are expected to be released soon.
The Mozambican authorities believe that the new exhibition at the Maritime Museum in the Mozambique Island will attract both national and foreigner tourists.
The Island of Mozambique was designated a World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee.
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