Cracks in security? Qing dynasty ceramics damaged in British Museum display
Incident involving 300-year-old Jingdezhen ceramics puts museum display safety under global scrutiny
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Carol Yangin Beijing
Two Chinese ceramics at the British Museum have been damaged while on display and are being restored, sparking fresh debate over how museums should safely exhibit fragile cultural treasures.
The museum confirmed on Friday that a bowl had fallen from its shelf and landed on a small box on the bottom shelf, damaging both pieces.
“Both objects are already with our expert conservation team for complete restoration,” the museum said.
The museum, which said the incident occurred on October 4, noted that while the shelf and mount showed no signs of failure, it would continue to investigate how the pieces were damaged.
Photos circulating on social media show ceramic shards inside a four-tier display cabinet featuring items from the Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art. A bowl catalogued as B629, originally positioned at the centre of the top shelf, appears to have fallen to the bottom tier, smashing another piece, item 634.
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