Collectors, Collections, and Museums: Chinese Ceramics in Britain, 1560–1960

During the 16th and 17th centuries, Chinese ceramics were acquired as objects of exotica and vessels for the consumption of tea and coffee, as well as for display in the country house interior. Diplomatic and political conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries prompted a shift in British consumption of pieces as both spoils of war and iconic representations of China. Perceptions of China and its ceramics began to change significantly in the 20th century with objects acquired as works of art and displayed publicly in museums. Art historian and curator Stacey Pierson explores the collecting, consumption, and display of Chinese porcelain in Britain which culminated in the founding of a museum of Chinese ceramics in London by one of the foremost British collectors, Sir Percival David (1892–1964).

Free and open to the public