The Cultural Affairs Bureau (known by its Portuguese initials IC) has designated its first batch of “movable cultural heritage,” granting protected status to 400 items from the Macao Museum collection.
The newly protected items reflect Macao’s unique status as a melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures. They span various historical periods, ranging from archaeological specimens and religious items to porcelain, ceramics, calligraphy, sculptures, textiles, maps, rare books, official documents, photographs, handcrafted fans and more.
Among the listed artefacts is a particularly rare fragment of blue-and-white Kraak porcelain found at Monte Fort. The shard, depicting a seven-headed beast, is linked to a Western motif of the Virgin Mary trampling a dragon’s head, as seen on a stone carving on the Ruins of St Paul.
Kraak porcelain was produced in Jingdezhen and Fujian during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties for export, reflecting Macao’s historical significance in East-West trade.
[See more: Does Macao need a proper Macanese museum?]
Other significant items include a Neolithic dish from Hác Sá Beach, a historic photograph of Sun Yat-sen, a bronze bell from the Monte Fort Corridor, and the certificate of inscription for Macao’s Historic Centre on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The formal listing was enacted through an administrative regulation, following an assessment process initiated by IC in December 2024 under the Cultural Heritage Protection Law. The process included public consultation and review by the Cultural Heritage Council.
IC states that it will continue to systematically identify and assess movable cultural properties to extend legal protection to more of Macao’s significant cultural assets.
