✦ About POPUPASIA®
POPUPASIA® Asian Handmade and Lifestyle Fair is a curatorial platform that connects Asian creators with the market. Since its founding in 2016, it has supported handmade brands in expanding their global reach through exhibitions, brand acceleration, business matchmaking, and cross-cultural collaborations.
Held annually in Taipei, the fair attracts hundreds of brands, buyers, and creative professionals from across Asia — all united by one belief:
“Do what you love, and make it a way of life.”
👉 Official website: https://popupasia.com
✦ About the National Museum of History
Established in 1955, the National Museum of History (NMH) is Taiwan’s first national museum, with a rich collection that spans ancient paintings, cultural relics, and folk art.
In recent years, the museum has actively promoted cultural revitalization by integrating licensing and creative collaborations, transforming from a static exhibition space into a living part of contemporary daily life — and offering new ways for the public to engage with history.
From Miniature Masterpieces to Global Tea Rituals: 6 Artisan Brands Join Forces with the National Museum of History
POPUPASIA® is once again partnering with the National Museum of History (NMH) — this time to seamlessly bridge culture and creativity. In this collaboration, six exceptional handmade brands are now featured in the NMH museum store, launching a vibrant conversation between tradition and design.
Participating brands include:
1cm Handcraft, By the Way Design Studio, Wei Weave, KYOTO GOENCHA, Scentory, and 犀貝瓷— representing Taiwan, Japan, and Hong Kong. Each brand embodies the depth and diversity of Asian handmade culture.
These brands have undergone a rigorous curatorial selection process and represent the highest standards of craftsmanship and storytelling in Asia’s handmade scene. Starting from August 2025, visitors who present a POPUPASIA® ticket at the National Museum of History store can enjoy a 10% discount on their purchases — making it easy to shop while exploring the exhibition.
Whether you’re a handmade enthusiast, buyer, or cultural explorer, this collaboration is worth your attention — because the next brand featured in a museum just might be yours.
What Happens When Creators Meet Culture?
The POPUPASIA® × NMH collaboration isn’t just about product placement — it’s a curatorial experiment in art, culture, and innovation. Handmade creators reinterpret history through craft, offering new ways for people to reconnect with cultural heritage.
✧ Rising Stars from Independent Creators
一公分手作 1cm Handcraft
- Style: Miniature clay art & DIY craft kits
- Highlight: Over 10 thousand views on tutorial videos; makes micro-art accessible for all
- POPUPASIA® Spirit: Sharing small joys through tiny but meaningful creations
👉 learn more about 1cm Handcraft here
✧ First Museum Debut: Wei Weave 微微福
From minimalist earrings to intricate statement necklaces, Wei Weave transforms metal wire into ribbon-like elegance. Each piece is handcrafted and customizable — reflecting the brand’s belief:
“To feel a little happiness the moment you wear it.”
👉 Learn more about Wei Weave here
🌏 Cross-Border Brands, Shared Cultural Values
KYOTO GOENCHA (Japan)
- Specialty: Custom designs × heartfelt messages — creating one-of-a-kind, personalized tea bags.
- Background: Originated in Kyoto’s Teramachi shopping street; debuted in Taiwan in 2023
- Highlight: Uses tea to express connection and gratitude — echoing the museum’s cultural philosophy
👉 Learn more about KYOTO GOENCHA here
Scentory (香言, Hong Kong)
- Specialty: Multisensory “book x scent” reading experiences
- Highlight: Transforms museum imagery into fragrances and limited-edition gift sets — offering new interpretations of heritage
👉 Learn more about Scentory here
犀貝瓷 (Taiwan)
- Specialty: Crafted using finely ground natural seashells, the porcelain is kiln-fired at a high temperature of 1300°C.
- Highlight: Paper-thin, jade-white, with a soothing resonance. Combines aesthetic, function, and sustainability — aligned with NMH’s SDG goals
🏛 Why This Museum x Maker Collab Matters
Here’s why both creators and collectors are buzzing about this partnership:
- Omnichannel Reach: Online matching pre-event, stage interviews during POPUPASIA, and museum retail post-event — bridging B2B and B2C seamlessly
- Cultural Credibility: NMH’s 70-year collection legacy enriches products with meaningful narratives
- Ticket-to-Purchase: Present your POPUPASIA® ticket at the National Museum of History Store to enjoy a 10% discount, boosting conversion rates from visitors to buyers and fostering a new cultural consumption model.
✧ From Curation to Collaboration: Unveiling the Thinking Behind the Museum’s Brand Selection
The National Museum of History aims to promote its collections by blending digital archives with contemporary creativity, bringing beauty and imagination into everyday life. The museum hopes its artworks will inspire brands, enhance cultural value, and extend the visitor experience — especially through immersive, multisensory formats.
For example, Scentory from Hong Kong created the Reader’s Candle blind box series in collaboration with the museum, drawing inspiration from works by Lin Yushan, Ma Pai-shui, and Sanyu. Each candle features a unique scent paired with a curated book for a fully immersive reading experience.
KYOTO GOENCHA, known for its tea bags that convey gratitude and blessings, collaborated with NMH using iconic collection imagery such as the “Money Tree,” “Prosperity Bowl,” Qing Dynasty floral embroidery, Ma Pai-shui’s Beauty of Taroko, and Sanyu’s Bathing Women — applying these creatively to tea-themed postcards and gift sets, blending fragrance, story, and symbolism.
By leveraging each brand’s unique strengths, the museum has co-developed personalized products that connect with diverse audiences. For instance, Muxi Art Co. used the museum’s “Cool Beast Adventure” IP illustrations to create marine shell porcelain massage plates — a fusion of artistic quality and everyday use.
Wei Weave’s Endless Blessings series reinterprets traditional patterns and cloud motifs in jewelry, including charming cat figurines.
1cm Handcraft recreated Sanyu’s Lotus in miniature form using clay and offers a DIY kit so visitors can make their own.
By the Way Design Studio transformed Tang tri-color pottery glaze into vibrant painted leather bags and designed pieces inspired by the museum’s lotus pond — a favorite among women.
In connection with NMH’s 100 Styles of Taiwan Orchids exhibition, the shop also introduced RiRi Picnic’s orchid earrings and pins.
Rather than the museum “selecting” brands, this collaboration is about brands recognizing the creative potential of the museum’s collection — built on mutual appreciation and trust.
🔜 Want Your Brand in the Museum Too?
The next round of brand onboarding is already in motion. POPUPASIA and NMH have outlined 5 key tips for creators who want to be featured — from theme selection and proposal strategy to licensing guidelines.
Whether you’re an independent handcrafter or a growing design studio, this is your chance to let your work “enter the halls of culture.”
Want your artwork to be featured in a museum? 5 must-see highlights!
