Museum workers unload a container with two oil paintings on wood dating to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the Liaoning Provincial Museum in Shenyang, Liaoning province, April 25, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The paintings were among more than 500 treasures that were recovered from the sunken Ming Dynasty ships, Nan'ao 1 and Wanli. The items will be displayed at a special exhibition at the museum beginning on Friday.

Highlights from the exhibition are brown glazed phoenix-pattern jars and oil paintings on wood, which are among the earliest Western oil paintings in China.