A “dragon bowl” found in Batam is compared to a nearly identical bowl found in Jamestown in “Following the Dragon,” an exhibition that received the American Association for State and Local History’s Gold Award of Excellence. (Jamestown Rediscovery/Preservation Virginia)
WILLIAMSBURG 一 A joint exhibition exploring Chinese Ming porcelain unearthed at James Fort has received the American Association for State and Local History’s Gold Award of Excellence, the organization’s highest honor for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history.
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation and Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation received the award for “Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown,” on display at Jamestown Settlement through July 12.
The exhibition, which debuted Nov. 15, draws on more than 100 Chinese Ming porcelain vessels recovered from excavations of the 1607-1625 fort at Historic Jamestowne. It explores who may have owned the pieces, how they were acquired and what they reveal about social life among the early 17th-century Virginia elite. Thirty-one of those vessels are paired with complete versions on loan from English, Dutch and American museums and private collections worldwide.
The exhibition was curated by Jamestown Settlement Senior Curator Beverly “Bly” Straube and Jamestown Rediscovery Senior Curator Merry Outlaw.
“Receiving the AASLH award is wonderful validation that our exhibit succeeded in connecting with both museum professionals and the visiting public,” Straube said. “We are especially proud that our first-ever collaborative effort demonstrated the power of partnership in telling a compelling, and largely unknown, story.”
Outlaw said the award reinforces the value of the two foundations working together.
“This recognition encourages us to continue collaborating to share the remarkable archaeological discoveries that are reshaping our understanding of the past,” said Outlaw.
Jamestown Settlement is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission ranges from $10 to $20. Children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, visit jyfmuseums.org.
