RAS Art Focus

China's Art & Aesthetics of the Past:

Part 1 – Ancient Jade Cultures

Sunday, 24 November 2024

1:45 pm Registration

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Curated and moderated by RAS Art Focus Convener and Art Historian Julie Chun, we return our gaze to art's history with the 2024-2025 series China's Art and Aesthetics of the Past. Please join us for this insightful series as we delve into the material culture of the recent and distant history to assess how objects ranging from imperial patronage to utilitarian handicrafts have shaped China's aesthetics through the ages.

This month, we are holding a special two-part session on the role of Chinese jade. The first part will take place at the Aurora Museum in Pudong. For this introductory discussion on jade, Julie Chun will be joined by Ed Allen, a PhD candidate in Chinese Archaeology at Fudan University in Shanghai and the former RAS China Librarian. Deviating from the conventional format of a museum guided talk, our members will be privy to an engaging discourse between two scholars, who also happen to be long-time RAS friends, in a captivating conversation (perhaps punctuated by friendly debate) as they share and exchange their respective knowledge on the material culture of ancient jade. From its earliest archaeological findings as mortuary goods to its evolutionary advancements in technical and aesthetic craftsmanship, the nephrite objects we will examine on-site will disclose a fascinating historical account of the organized and highly sophisticated societies that have existed throughout China's ancient civilization. Please be invited to attend…and eavesdrop, with opportunities to join in on the conversation.

About the Speaker:

Ed Allen is a PhD candidate in Chinese Archaeology at Fudan University in Shanghai. His work covers the pre-Shang cultures of northwest China. He has also worked with Liangzhu and Maqiao culture sites from the Hangzhou and Shanghai region. He formerly served as the Royal Asiatic Society China Librarian when the library was located at the Sino-British College on Fuxing Lu in Shanghai.