Adorned in Brilliance: A Kingfisher Headdress and its Royal Symbolism
Experience the allure of a late 19th-century Kingfisher headdress, a majestic symbol of imperial power and feminine elegance, adorned with vibrant feathers and intricate artistry.
8 August 2023
‘I am writing this waiting for the pageant to begin’
A message on the back of a postcard issued for an exhibition organised by the London Missionary Society leads to an examination of the phenomenon of ‘human zoos’ typical of exhibitions at the time.
18 July 2023
Double Identities: A Guanyin Statue in a Carriage Clock Case
When an object is misidentified, is it a ‘mistake’ or something more? Using a Guanyin statue as a case study, I suggest that objects can inhabit two identities when embodying two simultaneous social meanings.
13 June 2023
A Tea Brick from Fuzhou
Of all the tea bricks at MAA, only one is embossed with the image of a dragon. What are the multiple meanings of this important Chinese symbol in this context, and what is its relationship to the tea brick?
30 May 2023
Dragons, Monk’s Caps, and Butter Tea: The Duomuhu
What can drinking vessels tell us about historical changes and relationships? I explore the trajectory of one such vessel, a 多穆壶 (duomuhu), and what it tells us about the politics of the Chinese Empire.
7 March 2023
Preserving and Revitalising 昆曲 (Kunqu Opera) on the World Stage
Kunqu Opera, one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera, was at one point threatened with extinction. Explore stories of its revival through several collections-based projects at MAA.
21 February 2023
