In Conjunction with ‘Following the Dragon’ Special Exhibition

Feather Chen, a master of Chinese tea arts, to speak on February 7,
followed by a Chinese seal printing workshop on February 14

Williamsburg, Va., January 23, 2026 — Jamestown Settlement, a museum of 17th-century Virginia history and culture, will present two programs on February 7 and 14 in conjunction with the ongoing special exhibition, “Following the Dragon: Chinese Porcelain in Early Jamestown.”

The programs include:

February 7: “Tragedy and Romance: Tasting the Ming Dynasty” Talk, 4 p.m.
Feather Chen, a master of the Chinese tea arts with expertise in tea etiquette, brewing techniques and cultural insights, will explore the spirit of the Ming dynasty through the lens of tea in daily life. By tracing how tea drinking evolved during this period, the illustrated talk will reveal how changes in politics, aesthetics and philosophy shaped the way people lived, gathered and found meaning in everyday rituals. Chen, with roots in Yunnan and based in Charlottesville, is a former host at Yunnan Provincial TV and a certified Chinese tea evaluator and artist. The talk is included with museum admission.

February 14: Chinese Seal Printing Workshop, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Artist Mary Swezey invites museum guests to explore the ancient practice of fashioning a stamp used for personal identification. Following an overview about the significance of the Chinese seal (or chop), participants will translate their names into Chinese characters on paper. The characters will be transferred to soft printmaking blocks (Safety-Kut) and cut out using carving tools. The carved blocks will then be inked and printed on blank greeting cards. The workshop, free with advance registration, is limited to 15 participants and designed for ages 13 and up. The program is organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and is funded in part by the Paul Mellon Endowment and the Jean Stafford Camp Memorial Fund.

About the Special Exhibition: ‘Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown’

The special exhibition, presented in partnership with the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation, reveals unexpected cultural connections that link colonial Virginia with imperial China, spanning continents and empires and features Ming porcelain uncovered during archaeological excavations of the 1607-1625 fort at Historic Jamestowne. On display through July 12, the groundbreaking exhibition is regarded by scholars and collectors as “one of the most significant 21st-century exhibitions of ceramics from the early colonial period.”

More than 100 Chinese Ming porcelain vessels have been discovered during archaeological excavations of the 1607-1625 fort at Historic Jamestowne. For this exhibition, a total of 31 vessels recovered during Jamestown Rediscovery excavations are paired with intact parallels from English, Dutch and American museums, as well as private collections from across the globe.

The special exhibition, a collaboration between Jamestown Settlement Senior Curator Beverly “Bly” Straube, Ph.D., FSA, and Jamestown Rediscovery Senior Curator Merry Outlaw, is supported in part by James City County, James D. and Pamela J. Penny, Wilma and Marc Sharp, Ms. Lydia Kay Wilkinson, Mark A. and Iris Coblitz, Linda T. Baker, Carolyn Abbitt, Bruce H. and Eleanor Knowles, Larkin and Danny Schmidt, Stephen and Jean Louie, and Jerry E. Dalton.

Special exhibition merchandise curated for the Jamestown Settlement Museum Shop features a selection of teas, clothing and reproductions, including limited quantities of a replica of a Ming porcelain bowl discovered by Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists dating c.1607-25 at James Fort, Historic Jamestowne, and presented in a keepsake box. “Following the Dragon: Late Ming Porcelain from James Fort, Jamestown, Virginia,” a book written by Jamestown Rediscovery Senior Curator Merry Outlaw, also is available. The museum shop is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Admission
The “Following the Dragon” special exhibition is included with daytime admission to Jamestown Settlement: $20.00 for adults, $10.00 for youth, and children 5 and under are free. Residents of James City County, York County and the City of Williamsburg, including William & Mary students, receive free admission with proof of residency.

Jamestown Settlement, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located at 2110 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg, Va., near the Colonial Parkway and adjacent to Historic Jamestowne. For more information, call (757) 253-4838 or visit jyfmuseums.org/following-the-dragon.

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IMAGES (shown from left):

Feather Chen, a master of the Chinese tea arts, will speak at Jamestown Settlement on February 7.

“Following the Dragon: Chinese Ming Porcelain in Early Jamestown” special exhibition is on display through July 12 at Jamestown Settlement.

A Chinese Seal Printing Workshop will be held on February 14 at Jamestown Settlement.

JAMESTOWN SETTLEMENT MEDIA CONTACT
Tracy Perkins, tracy.perkins@jyf.virginia.gov or (757) 253-4114