‘What’s on a Vase? When French Feminism Meets Chinese Art’

Blue-and-white jar and lid Qing Dynasty, Kangxi Period (1661–1722) - Ashmolean Museum

Manhua Li (Royal Holloway College, University of London)
Discussants: Nicholas Bunnin (China Centre, University of Oxford), Frances Wood (Chinese Collections, British Library), and Michelle Castelletti (Oxford Festival of the Arts)
Host: Zoe Y. Zhong (University of Oxford)

Join Dr Manhua Li as she uncovers the hidden stories of over a hundred ceramic objects quietly "sleeping" in the Ashmolean Museum's collections. These non-displayed treasures hold secret narratives of women's imagery, waiting to be brought to light. Drawing on French feminist philosophy, the yinyang icons, and Ming-dynasty ceramics, Dr Li shows how material culture can spark fresh and imaginative ways of thinking about gendered symbols, creative practices, and intercultural history of ideas.