As it happens, two of the best collections of Chinese and Japanese export ceramics are to be found in the North of the Netherlands, in the Groninger Museum and in the Keramiekmuseum Princessehof in Leeuwarden, Friesland's capital city. Merchants and ship-owners from that region have been particulary active 'Oostvaarder' (Baltic traders) for centuries. The Northern provinces, Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe, still have a natural orientation towards Northern Germany, Scandinavia and the Baltic region, demonstrated by frequent visits and trade contacts und the aegis of 'Nordconnect'/SNN, a joint initiative of the three provinces. The exhibition features many of the best pieces from both Groningen and Leeuwarden and shows the immense variety of Chinese and Japanese porcelain that suddenly became available on the Dutch market in the early 17th century. 0Exhibition: Art Museum Riga Bourse, Riga, Latvia (2011).