The Rare, the Surprises, the Misunderstood, and the Enigmas: Revisiting Harvard’s Early Chinese Jades

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

CANCELLED

Dr Jenny F. So (Harvard University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong)

**Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been cancelled.**

Abstract

More than forty years after Max Loehr published the first comprehensive catalogue of the Grenville L. Winthrop collection of archaic Chinese jades, Dr. Jenny F. So has published a new book in 2019 featuring highlights from the collection, reinterpreted within China’s (specifically, early China’s) broader artistic and cultural context. Her research explores the sociopolitical, philosophical-religious contexts for the creation of jade artifacts since over five millennia ago, and some of the reasons behind the lasting impact of jade in Chinese society through subsequent millennia. Her research illustrates the importance of the application of material and technical examination, and how they can enhance our understanding of the jade’s initial creation, state of preservation, and connoisseurship. While the book discusses the key ideas and issues in greater detail, Dr. So’s lecture will focus on a few outstanding examples that best illustrate how close hands-on study of artifacts, coupled with nearly half a century of archaeological discoveries, can lead to a deeper appreciation of China’s oldest surviving artistic achievement.

Biography

Dr Jenny F. So is an Associate in Research, Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University and Adjunct Professor, Department of Fine Arts, The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Chair: Dr Stacey Pierson (SOAS Dept of History of Art and Archaeology)

Organiser: SOAS Department of Art and Archaeology and SOAS China Institute

Contact email: sci@soas.ac.uk

Contact Tel: +44 (0)20 7898 4823