Breaking the Mould: Japanese Ceramics from the Hyatt King Collection

Generously donated to the Oriental Museum in 2016 by collectors David and Anne Hyatt King, the Hyatt King collection comprises more than 2,000 ceramics spanning the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries.

David Hyatt King began collecting as a teenager in the 1960s. Drawn initially to Chinese paintings but unable to afford them, he turned instead to Japanese ceramics. What started with purchases from London street markets grew into a lifelong passion.

This exhibition celebrates David and Anne Hyatt King’s incredible gift and explores the extraordinary breadth of the collection. From elegant tea wares and beautifully painted porcelain landscapes to the work of groundbreaking twentieth-century artists, visitors can see centuries of creativity, technical innovation and cultural exchange.

Highlights include works by renowned ceramic artists such as Suwa Sozan, Morino Kako and Miyagawa Tōzan, the story of five generations of Kyoto’s celebrated Seifu family, and the refined porcelains of Hirado.

Through these exceptional objects, the exhibition reveals the creativity, craftsmanship and enduring traditions that have made Japanese ceramics admired around the world and celebrates the legacy of a unique collector.