Based in the north of Scotland, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums hold a combined collection of over 332 artefacts from China. The collection contains objects of various mediums, including painting, metalware, cloisonné, glass, ceramics, lacquer, stone, ivory, wood carvings, and textiles. Some highlights of Chinese decorative art in the Aberdeen collection can be viewed here.

A significant number of the Chinese artefacts in the collection were donated by the Scottish architect and jeweller, James Cromar Watt (1862-1940). Some of the objects donated by Watt include a late 19th century Tibetan prayer scroll, an intricately carved cinnabar lacquer from the late Qing-dynasty, and an ornamental money-sword, also from the late Qing. The breadth of artefacts in Watt’s collection underscores his interest in both China and art collection. Watt does not appear to have travelled extensively in China, meaning most of his collection was likely procured outside the region, however several of the Tibetan items bequeathed by him could have been purchased during his botanical expedition to Asia in 1925. 

Other notable items in the collection include six Tang-dynasty (608-906) ceramic figures donated by Beatrice Claeson Gordon, and a pair of carved engraved shells donated by James Cromar Watt, which are believed to have been produced in the Guangzhou region during the 18th or 19th century. Of the carved artefacts in the collection, some depict various religious images from both Buddhism and Daoism, such as a rock crystal carving of Guanyin, a well-known deity often associated with compassion.  

For more information on the collection, please visit the official webpage: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM. The National Museums Scotland has also produced a helpful report on collections in Aberdeen, including Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums, which you can view here: https://www.nms.ac.uk/about-us/our-work/national-work/collections-reviews/scotlands-east-asia-collections/east-asia-in-north-east-scotland/.