Ancient China/modern fantasies

About this course

This introductory art history session examines Chinese luxury goods, including silk, jade, lacquerware and porcelain, and their circulation through the Silk Road from the 3rd century BCE. Using the China Collection at the British Museum as a starting point, it considers how Chinese material culture influenced European artistic traditions and the development of Chinoiserie. The course also explores contemporary Chinese film and television that revisit fantasies of a luxurious past, including Zhang Yimou’s Curse of the Golden Flower. Teaching combines an illustrated lecture with group discussion.

What you'll learn

• Contextualise artworks from the British Museum’s China Collection within their historical and cultural settings
• Discuss China’s role in the internationalisation of luxury commodities through the Silk Road
• Analyse the influence of Chinese material culture on modern European artistic traditions
• Identify examples of contemporary Chinese film and television that reimagine the luxurious past

Is this course right for you?

The course is suitable for learners at all levels and does not state a requirement for previous art history experience. Participants should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and take part in group discussion.

• Includes participation in group discussion
• Requires following illustrated teaching materials and verbal instructions

Before you go

• A notebook may be useful for taking notes.