National Palace Museum treasures to make debut in Czech Republic

Taipei, July 30 (CNA) The National Palace Museum (NPM)'s treasured "Jadeite Cabbage with Insects" and over 100 other works from the museum's collection will be displayed in the Czech Republic for the first time starting next month, the NPM said in a statement Wednesday.

The NPM exhibition "100 treasures, 100 stories: Treasures from the National Palace Museum" will run from Sept. 11 to Dec. 31 at the National Museum in Prague.

It will be the first time the famous jadeite cabbage has been showcased overseas since appearing at the Tokyo National Museum in 2014 and the first time NPM works have ever been shown in the Czech Republic.

The NPM described the overseas exhibition as a significant part of its centennial celebrations and said it was aimed at "resonating with the European public" through the works' artistic styles and stories.

It is also hoping to introduce European audiences to the "rich and diverse cultural heritage of Taiwan," echoing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture's "Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025" campaign.

The jadeite cabbage is currently on display in Room 302 of the museum's Northern Branch, but will be substituted by two items from the same "cabbage collection" starting Aug. 4, the museum said.

One of these items is the "Mini Jadeite Cabbage," intricately carved to capture the essence of a real cabbage, with a mantis perched on the stalk highlighting the coexistence in nature.

The other piece is the "Jadeite Cabbage-shaped Flower Holder," which was carved with techniques believed to be from the 18th to 19th century, and is triangular in shape and hollow inside.