Before the Word, There Was Clay: Painted Ceramics in Fifth-Millennium Susa, Iran
Founded in the fifth millennium BCE, Susa is one of the most significant archaeological sites in southwestern Iran and has yielded the largest known assemblage of painted pottery from the Chalcolithic period (ca. 5500–3300 BCE). This corpus, commonly referred to as “Susa I ceramics,” originates primarily from a vast burial site, where over a thousand complete painted vases were excavated by the French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan beginning in 1906. Crafted from highly refined clay, these vessels feature black-on-buff intricate geometric and figural designs that suggest a society with a complex symbolic tradition.
Recently, the Louvre discovered in its storerooms sealed crates originally received in 1908 that contained hundreds of unpublished “Susa I” vases. This unexpected find initiated a critical reassessment of the entire corpus. In this lecture, Dr. François Bridey will introduce new hypotheses on the production and usage of the vases as well as the symbolic significance of their painted motifs.
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Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fzxlenOaT0yLzpSsri5gYA. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Past annual Moghadam lectures. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, December 16, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Japanese Tea Practice: Past and Present
In this webinar, three experts explore the past and present of Japanese tea practice through their unique perspectives as a curator, a tea practitioner/collector, and an art historian. The discussion is followed by a Q&A.
Speakers Louise Cort, curator emerita for ceramics, National Museum of Asian Art , Gregory Kinsey, tea practitioner and collector , Andrew Watsky, P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Professor of Japanese Art Emeritus, Department of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University, Facilitated by Sol Jung, Shirley Z. Johnson Assistant Curator of Japanese Art, This program is part of the online series Perspectives on Japanese Tea Practice, which brings together various experts on Japanese tea practice, called chanoyu, to explore its evolution from the past into the present. Roundtable discussions and lectures with tea practitioners, collectors, curators, university professors, architects, and artists reveal how cross-cultural connections have been crucial to historic and contemporary Japanese tea practice.…
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_bS7dB66JQeuPJlo0UD1SKw. Categories: Webcasts & Online. Lectures & Discussions. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
Korean Treasures Symposium | Keynote and Reception
Keynote and reception: Thursday, January 22, 2026: 6–8 p.m. EST
Symposium: Friday, January 23, 2026: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. EST
Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared honors the practice of collecting to preserve memories, express one’s taste, and safeguard traditions for generations to come. This exhibition is the National Museum of Asian Art’s largest and most comprehensive presentation of Korean art as well as the first US showcase of masterpieces generously donated to the Korean nation by the family of Lee Kun-Hee. Spanning 1,500 years, the exhibition features over two hundred remarkable objects, ranging from ancient Buddhist sculptures and ceramics to paintings, furnishings, and modern masterpieces of the twentieth century.
In conjunction with this exhibition, the Freer Research Center is hosting a two-day international gathering in Washington, DC, dedicated to Korean art collecting—both premodern and contemporary—in Korea and beyond. The symposium begins on the evening of January 22 with an…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium. Cost: Free. Register in advance (suggested). Get Tickets/Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/korean-treasures-symposium-tickets-1977520392728?aff=oddtdtcreator. Categories: After Five. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared. Accessibility: Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.
Korean Treasures Symposium
Keynote and reception: Thursday, January 22, 2026: 6–8 p.m. EST
Symposium: Friday, January 23, 2026: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. EST
Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared honors the practice of collecting to preserve memories, express one’s taste, and safeguard traditions for generations to come. This exhibition is the National Museum of Asian Art’s largest and most comprehensive presentation of Korean art as well as the first US showcase of masterpieces generously donated to the Korean nation by the family of Lee Kun-Hee. Spanning 1,500 years, the exhibition features over two hundred remarkable objects, ranging from ancient Buddhist sculptures and ceramics to paintings, furnishings, and modern masterpieces of the twentieth century.
In conjunction with this exhibition, the Freer Research Center is hosting a two-day international gathering in Washington, DC, dedicated to Korean art collecting—both premodern and contemporary—in Korea and beyond. The symposium begins on the evening of January 22 with an…
Venue: Asian Art Museum, West Building. Building: West Building. Event Location: Meyer Auditorium, Zoom. Online Link: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zgufGr4BSMmunQB2zJOC4w. Cost: In-person program in the Meyer will also be livestreamed. Eventbrite link for in-person and Zoom link for livestream. Livestream will include closed captions. Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Webcasts & Online. Related Exhibition: Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared. Accessibility: Captioning. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | The Science of Ink
Discover the science and history behind East Asian inks with conservation scientist Jennifer Giaccai. Explore traditional methods for making ink sticks and learn what current research reveals about these materials and their role in centuries-old artistic practices. Examine ink sticks and their ingredients up close, and see how modern analysis sheds light on ancient artistry.
Read our "Ink" Art Story for an intro to this material, its cultural use, and its history. Image: Department of Conservation and Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution
Caption: Microscopic view of soot, an ingredient in East Asian inks.
Venue: Asian Art Museum, East Building. Building: East Building. Event Location: Gallery 24. Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Lectures & Discussions. Related Exhibition: National Museum of Asian Art Presents “Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared”. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, January 23, 2026, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.