The Peacock Room was originally designed in the 1870s as a grand display space for Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Why was Chinese porcelain so popular across Europe and America at that time? How did an international craze for Chinese porcelain arise, and where is its influence still seen today? This discussion traces the history of Chinese ceramics exported during the Victorian era and explores the lasting effect of this global trade commodity on Chinese manufacturing practices and Western consumer culture. Stacey Pierson leads a gallery talk in the Peacock Room after the panel discussion. Stacey Pierson is a Reader in Chinese Ceramics at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is the author of Collectors, Collections and Museums: The Field of Chinese Ceramics in Britain, 1560–1960 and Chinese Ceramics: A Design History. Lee Glazer, Director of the Lunder Institute for American Art at Colby College, was formerly the Curator of American Art at the Freer and Sackler. Jan Stuart, the Melvin R. Seiden Curator of Chinese Art at the Freer and Sackler, wrote Joined Colors: Design and Meaning in Chinese Porcelain (with Louise Cort) and has curated numerous exhibitions featuring Asian ceramics. Image credit: Detail, The Peacock Room in Blue and White |