05/05/2026
TOMORROW!
"Legend of the Nine Cauldrons: The Afterlife of Ancient Chinese Bronzes" with Dr. Chris Kim.
Ancient ritual bronze vessels were one of the most potent symbols of power and legitimacy in Chinese civilization, not only in its classical age but also across subsequent periods of Chinese history. This lecture introduces the story of the life and afterlife of these venerable objects, first by exploring their origins in the Bronze Age, then examining their rediscovery in the Song period (960-1279). During the Song, ancient ritual bronzes resurfaced as the focal point of antiquarian interest and practices (collecting, displaying, copying, preserving, and so forth) for emperors and scholars alike. Such engagement with antiquity through material culture both shaped and was shaped by the social, cultural, intellectual, and political climate of the time. It furthermore lay the foundations of epigraphy and archaeology, two important avenues through which we in the present study China’s rich history.
Chris Kim is a historian and archaeologist of ancient China, currently a visiting assistant professor at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World. He received his PhD from Columbia University, MA from Harvard University, and BA from Brown University. His current research focuses on statecraft and political economy in China’s classical age through the interdisciplinary analysis of ancient inscriptions, material culture, and transmitted texts.
