Chinese precious-stone carving artworks exhibited in Athens

An exhibition featuring 100 Chinese decorative objects dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) has opened door this week at the Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens.

The artworks of the exhibition called Chinese Works of Art from the I. and D. Passas Collection belong to the Foundation of Greek collectors Ioannis and Dimitra Passas.

Made of precious and semi-precious stones, the artworks present the little-known Chinese art of precious-stone carving to the Greek public.

"It is very important that this exhibition is taking place during a period when the relations between the two countries are at a very high level," said Greek Culture and Sports Minister Lina Mendoni during a press conference on Wednesday.

The minister, who attended the opening, said, the Passas collection exhibition can be considered a forerunner of the vast array of cultural events that will take place in the context of 2021 Sino-Greek "Year of Tourism and Culture".