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Digital Exhibitions by Pippa Lacey
Conference Papers by Pippa Lacey
The colour red has been a potent concept in China since ancient times. Red is an auspicious colo... more The colour red has been a potent concept in China since ancient times. Red is an auspicious colour and considered to be apotropaic. During the Qing dynasty, red coral was one of the most hardstones at court. This paper explores the concept and agency of red in China via the use of a naturally red-coloured material, some of the material qualities of red coral as well as the use of coral as a motif on Qing imperial court robes and on domestic and export ceramics.
Teaching Seminar by Pippa Lacey
A Day School focusing on the silken robes worn by the Chinese emperor and his courtiers. This stu... more A Day School focusing on the silken robes worn by the Chinese emperor and his courtiers. This study day explores the formal and informal costumes of the Chinese Imperial court to discover the imperial symbols and colour codes of the Ming & Qing dynasty rulers. It focuses on the complex language of Chinese dress through courtly accessories - necklaces, hats, belts and boots - which indicated identity and position in the court hierarchy.
The Robert & Lisa Sainsbury Collection in Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts includes 29 Chinese ob... more The Robert & Lisa Sainsbury Collection in Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts includes 29 Chinese objects dating from the Dawenkou culture c.2500 - 1800 BC to the Yuan dynasty (13th - 14th century AD). This a-typical collection of Chinese artefacts were collected by Sir Robert and Lisa Sainsbury over a period of 66 years between 1933 to 1999.
Conferences Organised by Pippa Lacey
Publications by Pippa Lacey
Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of th... more Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of the Ocean World in Nineteenth Century Art, Science and Culture. Part of the Bloomsbury series, Biotechne: Interthinking Art, Science and Design, edited by Charissa Terranova and Meredith Tromble.
Art Worlds, Social Actions: Education and Research 2012 - 2015, 2015
The Art Lab: Changing Landscapes project facilitated the translation of new academic research int... more The Art Lab: Changing Landscapes project facilitated the translation of new academic research into dynamic public engagement, bringing non-western perspectives to new audiences. The theme of penjing, Chinese miniature landscapes, emerged from postgraduate research on the uses of Mediterranean red coral at the Qing imperial court (AD 1644 - 1795) and on the multi-layered beliefs associated with this valuable, distinctively coloured natural commodity.
The Penjing: Miniature Landscapes, Eternal Paradise component encouraged Sainsbury Centre visitors to engage with the concepts of miniaturisation, microcosms, contained landscapes and fantasy creations through exploration, play and discovery. Interactive displays of glass bowls and craft materials were designed to draw visitors in by appealing to the familiar and to lead them towards the unfamiliar, allowing the construction of new meanings or connections.
The Global Lives of Things: The Material Culture of Connections in the Early Modern World, Dec 9, 2015
Most studies of global commodities trace the flow of exotics into Europe. Mediterranean red cora... more Most studies of global commodities trace the flow of exotics into Europe. Mediterranean red coral, Corallium rubrum, was one of the few European commodities to find markets in eighteenth-century Asia. This paper reconstructs the nodes of the early-modern ‘coral network’ to Qing China (1644 - 1911), via East India Company records. This allows us to understand the some of the mechanisms through which a sought after Chinese ‘curiosity’, reached the imperial court. Red coral was incorporated into a range of imperial artefacts, from court necklaces to miniature landscapes. The distance that coral travelled was one factor behind the cultural value ascribed to it. In addition, coral’s colour, form and provenance allowed multi-layered, long-standing associations to be projected upon it.
In China, shanhu, entered complex local tribute-giving, focused on the imperial court. Red coral was incorporated into tribute gifts crafted in Guangdong’s workshops by officials for their emperor. Further, coralline gifts were presented by European embassies eager to secure trade advantages in the tea, silk and porcelain markets.
The ‘coral network’ connected fishermen, merchants, naval captains, officials and craftsmen with the Qing court. Each playing a role in the transformation of red coral to precious imperial treasure.
During 2013, the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) introduced an innovative research internsh... more During 2013, the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) introduced an innovative research internship initiative aimed at early career academic researchers. The Connecting with Collections (CwC) scheme offered six interns from British universities the opportunity to gain hands-on museum experience, while working independently on individual research projects within the collections of the UCM consortium.
This paper presents: 1. An Overview of Connecting with Connections Scheme: programme rationale, aims and funding, recruitment and project choice. 2. Training and Opportunities: group training sessions, as well as snapshots of individual experiences within the museums and 3. Internship Outputs: including an end-of-internship Symposium and other outcomes for interns. It briefly surveys the six internship projects before drawing some conclusions about the CwC programme and highlighting some of the debates around the future direction of the internship scheme for UCM.
Forthcoming by Pippa Lacey
Talks by Pippa Lacey
British maritime history is woven into the warp and weft of the United Kingdom. The National Mar... more British maritime history is woven into the warp and weft of the United Kingdom. The National Maritime Memorial Database collects and records of over 6000 church, cemetery and public memorials, including many important works by prominent sculptors and designers. These memorials commemorating naval officers, merchants, explorers, fishermen, and those who died in maritime accidents, either through the loss of a vessel or other sea-related incidents. Most memorials are to individuals and their family, however there are collective memorials, such as commemorations to the crew and passengers of the Titanic and Lusitania.
The colour red has been a potent concept in China since ancient times. Red is an auspicious colo... more The colour red has been a potent concept in China since ancient times. Red is an auspicious colour and considered to be apotropaic. During the Qing dynasty, red coral was one of the most hardstones at court. This paper explores the concept and agency of red in China via the use of a naturally red-coloured material, some of the material qualities of red coral as well as the use of coral as a motif on Qing imperial court robes and on domestic and export ceramics.
A Day School focusing on the silken robes worn by the Chinese emperor and his courtiers. This stu... more A Day School focusing on the silken robes worn by the Chinese emperor and his courtiers. This study day explores the formal and informal costumes of the Chinese Imperial court to discover the imperial symbols and colour codes of the Ming & Qing dynasty rulers. It focuses on the complex language of Chinese dress through courtly accessories - necklaces, hats, belts and boots - which indicated identity and position in the court hierarchy.
The Robert & Lisa Sainsbury Collection in Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts includes 29 Chinese ob... more The Robert & Lisa Sainsbury Collection in Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts includes 29 Chinese objects dating from the Dawenkou culture c.2500 - 1800 BC to the Yuan dynasty (13th - 14th century AD). This a-typical collection of Chinese artefacts were collected by Sir Robert and Lisa Sainsbury over a period of 66 years between 1933 to 1999.
Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of th... more Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of the Ocean World in Nineteenth Century Art, Science and Culture. Part of the Bloomsbury series, Biotechne: Interthinking Art, Science and Design, edited by Charissa Terranova and Meredith Tromble.
Art Worlds, Social Actions: Education and Research 2012 - 2015, 2015
The Art Lab: Changing Landscapes project facilitated the translation of new academic research int... more The Art Lab: Changing Landscapes project facilitated the translation of new academic research into dynamic public engagement, bringing non-western perspectives to new audiences. The theme of penjing, Chinese miniature landscapes, emerged from postgraduate research on the uses of Mediterranean red coral at the Qing imperial court (AD 1644 - 1795) and on the multi-layered beliefs associated with this valuable, distinctively coloured natural commodity.
The Penjing: Miniature Landscapes, Eternal Paradise component encouraged Sainsbury Centre visitors to engage with the concepts of miniaturisation, microcosms, contained landscapes and fantasy creations through exploration, play and discovery. Interactive displays of glass bowls and craft materials were designed to draw visitors in by appealing to the familiar and to lead them towards the unfamiliar, allowing the construction of new meanings or connections.
The Global Lives of Things: The Material Culture of Connections in the Early Modern World, Dec 9, 2015
Most studies of global commodities trace the flow of exotics into Europe. Mediterranean red cora... more Most studies of global commodities trace the flow of exotics into Europe. Mediterranean red coral, Corallium rubrum, was one of the few European commodities to find markets in eighteenth-century Asia. This paper reconstructs the nodes of the early-modern ‘coral network’ to Qing China (1644 - 1911), via East India Company records. This allows us to understand the some of the mechanisms through which a sought after Chinese ‘curiosity’, reached the imperial court. Red coral was incorporated into a range of imperial artefacts, from court necklaces to miniature landscapes. The distance that coral travelled was one factor behind the cultural value ascribed to it. In addition, coral’s colour, form and provenance allowed multi-layered, long-standing associations to be projected upon it.
In China, shanhu, entered complex local tribute-giving, focused on the imperial court. Red coral was incorporated into tribute gifts crafted in Guangdong’s workshops by officials for their emperor. Further, coralline gifts were presented by European embassies eager to secure trade advantages in the tea, silk and porcelain markets.
The ‘coral network’ connected fishermen, merchants, naval captains, officials and craftsmen with the Qing court. Each playing a role in the transformation of red coral to precious imperial treasure.
During 2013, the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) introduced an innovative research internsh... more During 2013, the University of Cambridge Museums (UCM) introduced an innovative research internship initiative aimed at early career academic researchers. The Connecting with Collections (CwC) scheme offered six interns from British universities the opportunity to gain hands-on museum experience, while working independently on individual research projects within the collections of the UCM consortium.
This paper presents: 1. An Overview of Connecting with Connections Scheme: programme rationale, aims and funding, recruitment and project choice. 2. Training and Opportunities: group training sessions, as well as snapshots of individual experiences within the museums and 3. Internship Outputs: including an end-of-internship Symposium and other outcomes for interns. It briefly surveys the six internship projects before drawing some conclusions about the CwC programme and highlighting some of the debates around the future direction of the internship scheme for UCM.
British maritime history is woven into the warp and weft of the United Kingdom. The National Mar... more British maritime history is woven into the warp and weft of the United Kingdom. The National Maritime Memorial Database collects and records of over 6000 church, cemetery and public memorials, including many important works by prominent sculptors and designers. These memorials commemorating naval officers, merchants, explorers, fishermen, and those who died in maritime accidents, either through the loss of a vessel or other sea-related incidents. Most memorials are to individuals and their family, however there are collective memorials, such as commemorations to the crew and passengers of the Titanic and Lusitania.
Connecting with Collections: Research Internships promoting closer collaboration between Universi... more Connecting with Collections: Research Internships promoting closer collaboration between University Museums
Bloomsbury Visual Arts eBooks, 2023
Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of the... more Forthcoming in eds. Kathleen Davidson and Molly Duggins, Sea Currents: The commodification of the Ocean World in Nineteenth Century Art, Science and Culture. Part of the Bloomsbury series, Biotechne: Interthinking Art, Science and Design, edited by Charissa Terranova and Meredith Tromble.
Sea Currents in Nineteenth-Century Art, Science and Culture, 2023
Red coral, shanhu, was highly esteemed at the Qing court and its use restricted for, and regulate... more Red coral, shanhu, was highly esteemed at the Qing court and its use restricted for, and regulated by, the emperor. Only the emperor, his consort and his mother were permitted to wear imperial Manchurian pearl and red coral necklaces, with the empress and empress dowager wrapped in sets of coralline necklaces on official occasions. Highly-prized Mediterranean red coral, Corallium rubrum, was traded via ‘the coral network’ along maritime routes from Europe to China in the long nineteenth century. This essay focuses on the material qualities of red coral, exploring its uses at the Chinese court and the beliefs surrounding this mysterious marine material, both as an exotic ‘treasure’ and a representational motif.
In China, red coral has been associated with auspiciousness and longevity since ancient times. It is an indicator of nobility in Mahayana Buddhism and is considered one of the ‘eight precious things’, a group of Chinese motifs representing good luck and prosperity. Coral is a naturally plastic organic material that was utilised in its natural branching form, transformed into gemstones and shaped into three-dimensional sculptures. Chinese craftsmen incorporated shanhu into a broad range of sacred, courtly, martial and decorative objects for the imperial court.