In 1991 the ROC was able to overcome diplomatic difficulties of nearly 30 years to send works to Washington for a show at the National Gallery of Art celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus 'arrival America. When all went well, the Museum was able to use that loan of works as a model and, when asked by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in June of 1991, began negotiating for the upcoming exhibition.
此次故宮文物赴美展覽亦並非貿然而行，係繼民國八十年突破近三十年外交困境，赴美參加華盛頓美國國家藝術博物館「紀念哥倫布發現新大陸五百周年」展覽順利成功之後，依循此借展模式，於民國八十年六月接受紐約大都會博物館之請，洽商赴美展出。