• One of China's most popular contributions to auctions is porcelain, especially those dating back to the old dynasties.

One of China's most popular contributions to auctions is porcelain, especially those dating back to the old dynasties. (Photo : Google)

The first exhibit in Greece to feature contemporary Chinese porcelain wares opened on Dec. 17, Wednesday, at the Museum of Asian Art in Corfu, one of the islands in the Ionian Sea, according to the Global Times.

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"The New Silk Road," which will be held at the museum until May 16 next year, has on display 60 pieces of fine china by 30 artists who hail from the Ceramic Institute of Jingdezhen, which is known to be the center of Chinese pottery, and the Master Alliance of Art Ceramic in China.

During the opening ceremony, which was attended by Greek and Chinese officials, Greece's Deputy Minister of Culture Angela Gerekou expressed delight over the "unprecedented" exhibit, saying this will enhance Greece-China relations.

"For us, the new Silk Road is extremely significant. It will help deepen our relations. Each cultural event, such as today's event, brings us closer," she said.

Exhibit curator Despina Zernioti, who is also director of the Corfu Museum of Asian Art, said that the collection includes "artworks of great artistic value which can be compared to the collection of the British Museum."

The Museum of Asian Art on the island, which was founded in 1928 and initially called the Museum of Sino-Japanese Art, is the only such museum in the whole of Greece.

"The New Silk Road" first ran at the Louvre Museum in 2012, and then at Cambridge University's Fitzwilliam Museum in 2013.