Tea-time treasures

An ongoing exhibition, Graces of Song Wares, features ceramic, gold, silver, bronze and lacquer items from Hong Kong collector Mak Po-tai's trove. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Having gathered antiques for over two decades, Mak Po-tai views himself as "a collector who is still very young".

In his late 50s, the Hong Kong resident finds the world of antiquity so extensive and profound that he feels he should invest more time and energy researching it.

Mak operates his own business in retail and wholesale.

His artistic assembly, the PT Collection, includes mainly porcelain items, some of which date back to the Tang Dynasty (AD 681-907).

He is also a member of the famed Hong Kong collectors society, Min Qiu Jing She.

Mak's interest in collecting was ignited by his love of tea drinking－tea sets form the bulk of his collection.

He wanted to know how the ancient Chinese prepared their tea and what kind of items they used to appreciate it.