BUDAPEST, March 26 (Xinhua) -- A remarkable collection of 17th and 18th century Chinese porcelain recovered from a shipwreck will soon set off from Budapest, Hungary, on a European tour.

"The exhibition will showcase the unparalleled production expertise of the Chinese porcelain manufacturers at the end of the 17th century, and beginning of the 18th century," Istvan Zelnik, the collection owner said on Monday at a press conference in Budapest.

The items form part of a collection of Southeast Asian gold, silver and various decorative art items amassed by Zelnik, a former diplomat and businessman who traveled the markets of Southeast Asia for 45 years to build up his collection, comprising more than 15,000 pieces from around the region.

Zelnik opened a Southeast Asian Gold Museum in Budapest in 2011, displaying around 1,000 gold and silver objects as well as approximately 1,000 artifacts of precious stones, bronze, porcelain, ivory, stone and faience.

The Chinese porcelain was on its way to export markets in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Europe via Batavia, modern-day Jakarta in Indonesia, when it sank some time between 1725 and 1732 in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam close to Ca Mau.

The Ca Mau treasure remained hidden under the sea until 1998 when a Vietnamese fisherman chanced upon it. The Vietnamese authorities then launched a large-scale recovery mission which brought approximately 130,000 pieces of porcelain and ceramics from the shipwreck to the surface.

Much of the treasure was stored in the Hanoi History Museum in Vietnam where it can still be viewed, but many items made their way onto antiques markets in Vietnam and further afield.

Following news of the discovery, Zelnik set about scouring markets for the shipwreck porcelain and gradually came across spoons, pots, incense-stick holders, miniature figurines and more rare items like paintbrush-holders and incense-stick holders.

In mid-April, Zelnik will bring a 450-piece collection of the porcelain on tour beginning with various locations in Hungary. Zelnik intends to take the exhibition around Europe and the Middle East, with planned stops including Krakow, Zagreb, Paris, St. Petersburg, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.