Ringling previews exhibit "Royal Taste: The Art of Princely Courts in Fifteenth-Century China"

Friends, donors and board members of The Ringling got to experience a rare and exotic treat on Wednesday night by getting an early preview of the museum's first exhibit opening of the fall arts season. Titled "Royal Taste: The Art of Princely Courts in Fifteenth-Century China," the exhibit features approximately 150 pieces of jewelry, tools, items, relics, clothes and pieces of art from Chinese royalty during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Ringling collaborated with the Hubei Provincial Museum in China in order to bring these centuries-old pieces of art and artifacts, many of which are appearing outside of China for the very first time, to Sarasota. "The Ringling is dedicated to programming the art of the world," says Fan Zhang, the Helga Wall-Apelt associate curator of Asian art at The Ringling. "We hope this will be the start of collaborations with other Asian museums. We hope The Ringling will become a major Asian art center."