Membership
Treat yourself or a loved one with the gift of Membership: enjoy free access to all exhibitions, access to our Members’ Room, priority booking to evening talks, and much more.
Join today
Chinese Ceramics (Course plus gallery talks)
Short course
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Being up close with treasured objects from the V&A's collections brings your learning to life. Get precious time with incredible exemplars, as well as with our expert tutors and your fellow learners.
The V&A collection of Chinese ceramics is globally recognised for its scale and scope, from early Neolithic tomb wares to fine porcelains for court use. Through the study of body and glaze, this art history course will investigate why the ceramics of China led artistic and technological innovations up to the modern period.
Chinese ceramics were enjoyed at home and abroad, as articles of daily use, ritual items and collectible artefacts. Colour, decoration and form reflect a diverse range of influences, highlighting domestic fashion and taste as well as the influx of artistic motifs and aesthetics – through travel, trade and diplomacy – which stimulated and enriched the ceramic traditions of China.
This art history course features two different ticketing options. Book on this page for a ticket including access to all the lectures plus three complementary gallery talks. Alternatively, if you would prefer to book a lectures-only ticket, click here: Chinese Ceramics (Course) - V&A Academy Course at V&A South Kensington · V&A (vam.ac.uk)
Chinese ceramics were enjoyed at home and abroad, as articles of daily use, ritual items and collectible artefacts. Colour, decoration and form reflect a diverse range of influences, highlighting domestic fashion and taste as well as the influx of artistic motifs and aesthetics – through travel, trade and diplomacy – which stimulated and enriched the ceramic traditions of China.
This art history course features two different ticketing options. Book on this page for a ticket including access to all the lectures plus three complementary gallery talks. Alternatively, if you would prefer to book a lectures-only ticket, click here: Chinese Ceramics (Course) - V&A Academy Course at V&A South Kensington · V&A (vam.ac.uk)
V&A Academy Course Leader
Dr Helen Glaister
Dr Helen Glaister is an art historian who specialises in Chinese ceramics and decorative arts. She has been Course Director of the Arts of Asia Year Course since 2006 and previously worked at Birkbeck College and the British Museum. Helen was awarded her MA and PhD from SOAS (University of London) where she regularly teaches.
Helen was a fantastic moderator giving confidence to ask questions and get involved. Previous V&A Academy student
Course overview
The V&A collection of Chinese ceramics is globally recognised for its scale and scope. Dating from the neolithic to the modern period, the history of ceramics can be mapped across the vast territories of China and beyond, charting the development of body and glaze and the evolution of porcelain as a global commodity. Chinese ceramics were enjoyed at home and abroad, as articles of daily use, ritual items and collectible artefacts. Colour, decoration and form reflect a diverse range of influences, highlighting domestic fashion and taste as well as the influx of artistic motifs and aesthetics – through travel, trade and diplomacy – which stimulated and enriched the ceramic traditions of China.
V&A Academy. A learning environment you can trust.
Being up close with treasured objects from the V&A's collections brings your learning to life. Get precious time with incredible exemplars, as well as with our expert tutors and your fellow learners.
Enrol now
Short course: Chinese Ceramics (Course plus gallery talks)
15 January 2025 - 19 February 2025
£300.00
Need help enrolling? Talk to the admissions team:
+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Open 10.00 - 13.00, Monday to Sunday (closed 24-26 December)
Related events
Header image: Vase, ca. 1500, Maker Unknown, Museum Ref. 701-1883