A Remarkable Gift for a Remarkable Man: the James Legge Tablet
The James Legge (1815-1897) tablet is one of the most significant acquisitions the V&A China collection has made in recent years, thanks to the generosity and trust of Dr Christopher Legge, a descendant of James Legge. This magnificent object was commissioned by 79 members of the Chinese community in Hong Kong in 1867 as a farewell gift for Rev. Legge, who was returning to Britain after more than two decades of service in the colony. It not only exemplifies the craft of 19th-century Chinese silversmithing but also serves as a physical testament to the remarkable life and achievements of James Legge who devoted his lifetime to missionary, charitable, and educational work in Hong Kong, as well as to the scholarly study of Chinese culture.
Join V&A curator Dr Xiaoxin Li, furniture conservator Philip Kevin, and metalwork conservator Robert Mitchell, to uncover stories behind the design, production, and conservation of this intriguing object.
The lecture is kindly sponsored by Lyon & Turnbull
Speakers
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Xiaoxin LiCurator of Chinese Collections at the Victoria and Albert MuseumDr Xiaoxin Li is Curator of the Chinese collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum, looking after objects ranging from Neolithic times to the modern day, and covers areas of ceramics and glass, lacquer, metalwork, furniture, carving, modern and contemporary studio craft and design. She is currently working on a project to research, acquire and display Chinese contemporary studio crafts, supported by the Art Fund and various independent funders.
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Robert MitchellMetalwork conservator at the Victoria and Albert MuseumRobert Mitchell is a Metalwork conservator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, having worked with both private and museum objects before starting at the V&A. He now predominantly looks after metalwork objects from across the museum’s various departments, preparing them for exhibitions, loans and display.
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Philip KevinConservation Departments Furniture and Frames Studio, V&APhilip Kevin is a conservator working with wood and organic materials. He previously worked as a cabinetmaker before qualifying as a conservator and has over 20 years of experience working with different collections at various institutions including the British Museum, the Horniman Museum and, for the last 6 years, at the V&A. Philip’s specialism is wood and associated materials with an interest in ethnographic objects, gilded objects and early musical instruments and is currently working in the Conservation Departments Furniture and Frames Studio.
