Sir Percival David Collection of Chinese Art, British Museum, London

The first impression of this new space, dedicated to the Sir Percival David collection of Chinese ceramics, is one of minimalism. The room is light and uncluttered; the presentation is attractive yet understated; and the interpretation is discrete.

However, beneath this deceptively simple appearance lies a complex aesthetic. It's as if the values attributed to the finest Chinese ceramics (restrained elegance and luxury) have been reproduced in the form of a gallery.

Relatively little is known about Sir Percival David (1892-1964). He came from a wealthy family of international bankers and his business took him to China, where he was inspired to learn the local language and culture.

Fluent in Mandarin, he earned the trust of Chinese officials. He was allowed to meet local collectors and learned to identify rare ceramics, developing tastes that reflected Chinese, rather than western, values.

In 1950, his collection of almost 1,700 objects was presented to the University of London under the care of the trustees of the Percival David Foundation. The artefacts were housed in a university museum administered by the university's School of Oriental and African Studies, until a funding crisis forced the museum to close in 2007.

The collection is now on long-term loan to the British Museum and forms the basis of the new Sir Joseph Hotung Centre for Ceramic Studies.

It is a condition of the loan that the collection must be shown in its entirety, as an exclusive unit. Although there are some historical gaps that could be filled with objects from the museum's holdings, such intervention may only be done in the context of a temporary exhibition.

Tricky provenance

Sadly, David's well-trained eye was not accompanied by an interest in recording provenance. He was collecting during the period following the collapse of the Qing dynasty, when items from the Forbidden City were being sold.

It is generally agreed that many of his acquisitions originated from the imperial household. However, the undisputed quality of the collection's Chinese ceramics ensures that it is considered to be among the best in the world.

One of the most prized areas of the collection is a small group of Ru vessels, a technical triumph of thinly crafted pottery with a luminous blue-green glaze. Fewer than 70 pieces of Ru ware are known to exist in the world: 17 of these are currently housed in the British Museum, including 12 from David's collection.

Perhaps most surprising is the fact that the artisans who created these coveted pots were working towards the end of the Song dynasty, at a time when Britons were still recovering from the effects of the Norman Conquest.

The aesthetics of Ru ware can be said to act as a metaphor for the design of the gallery: understated yet jewel-like. Low-reflective glass has been used throughout for the showcases and lends a clarity to objects when looked at straight-on, yet it sparkles with light when viewed at an angle.

Several floor-to-ceiling cases provide a library of densely packed objects around the perimeter of the room, while glass shelves give the impression of objects floating in mid-air.

The centre of the gallery is dominated by a cluster of freestanding cases exhibiting key objects. Each case contains a single sheet of sand-blasted glass to provide a frosted display surface which allows the ceramics to glint in the spotlight.

One of the potential dangers of a gallery comprised of so many hard surfaces is the possibilility of vibration from visitors walking by. This could make the pots vulnerable to creeping along the shelves, but a close inspection reveals a clever solution.

Rather than securing each piece with one of the proprietary products used for such purposes (such as museum wax or transparent bumps), each shelf has been trimmed with Plastazote to dampen the vibration.

Objects, not words

The minimal approach to design is carried over into interpretation. Objects are allowed to speak for themselves with very few explanatory labels. Artefacts are arranged in cases by kiln site with key items used to introduce specific topics. The vast majority of objects are simply numbered and information can only be discovered by using one of four touchscreen databases available in the gallery.

This approach may be appropriate for those who already possess an underlying knowledge of the subject or who are content to appreciate the collection from a purely aesthetic point of view, but it is less conducive for non-experts who must apply considerable effort to uncovering the secrets of the collection.

Being in the latter camp, I was disappointed by the quality of the photographs on the database, many of which became pixelated or blurred when the zoom function was used. But I was impressed by the magnetic labels used to introduce themes in the wall-cases.

I was confused by the dates of various imperial dynasties and wanted to know about the impact of the Cultural Revolution on collecting antiquities. Although some of this information is provided in the catalogue, the curators have missed an opportunity to use the collection more effectively to unlock some of the mysteries of Chinese culture for interested amateurs.

This is a display about connoisseurship and collecting. It is unusual to find a gallery in the British Museum dedicated to a single medium and one suspects that the project team visited the Victoria and Albert Museum for inspiration. The gallery does not give up its secrets easily, but the rewards are great for those prepared to spend time in contemplation.

Maria Blyzinsky is a freelance exhibitions consultant