Events

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February 2026
Xiang Shengmo 項聖謨 (1597-1658). Portrait at Fifty 自畫五十歲小像, 1646. Hanging scroll; ink and colours on paper; 34.3 x 28.3 cm. MFA Boston. Gift of the Wan-go H. C. Weng Collection and the Weng family, in honour of Weng Tonghe.

The Subversive Art of Portraiture in Seventeenth Century China

The 2026 Annual Sonia Lightfoot Memorial Lecture on Paintings Speaker: Dr Mariana Zegianini Traditionally created to commemorate the life of a human being after their death, portraiture in China has been considered at best a minor artistic genre by both early modern and contemporary art scholarship. As a result, until very recently portraits from China […]
10 Feb
6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
March 2026
© 2023 Musée du Louvre, Dist. GrandPalaisRmn / Thomas Clot

Ordering Disorder – Mughal, Central Asian and Chinese jades – An Attempt At Classification

The Annual Woolf Jade Lecture Speaker: Dr. Jean-Baptiste Clais Over the past two decades, scholarly research and exhibitions have significantly expanded our knowledge of Asian jade production and trade during the modern era. Studies have highlighted Timurid and post-Timurid jade craftsmanship in Central Asia, as well as the rich tradition of Mughal jades. In China, […]
10 Mar
6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
April 2026
The-Drawing-Room-in-Leighton-House.-Bedford-Lemere-Co.-1895.

Frederic Leighton – A Victorian Traveller and Collector in the Middle East

Speaker: Dr Melanie Gibson Before becoming President of London’s Royal Academy in 1878, the artist Frederic Leighton made several trips to countries around the southern Mediterranean including southern Spain, Egypt, Turkey and Syria. In this talk I will discuss his growing interest in Islamic architecture and design, and look at how he started to build […]
14 Apr
6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
The Arab Hall, Leighton House. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Image courtesy of Siobhan Doran

Tour of Leighton House with Melanie Gibson

Date: Thursday 23 April 2026, 10am-11am Location: Leighton House, 12 Holland Park Rd, London, W14 8LZ We are pleased to offer OCS members a special guided tour of The Arab Hall: Past and Present with Dr Melanie Gibson. This event accompanies Dr Gibson’s OCS lecture, Frederic Leighton – A Victorian Traveller and Collector in the […]
23 Apr
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Leighton House
12 Holland Park Rd, London, W14 8LZ
May 2026
Alberquerque foundation storage with glass doors looking into a large room with standing large ceramic vessels and two shelves above with smaller items all neatly arranged.

The Albuquerque Foundation: From Private Collection to Dynamic Public Institution for the Study of Chinese Ceramics

Dr Mok H. Y. Charitable Foundation Lecture Speaker: Becky MacGuire Brazilian Renato de Albuquerque spent almost 50 years carefully building a vast collection focused on the cultural interchange embodied in Chinese ceramics and other Asian export arts. Now that collection has come to life as a dynamic institution that will study, preserve and interpret the […]
12 May
6:15 pm - 7:15 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
June 2026

Annual General Meeting of the Oriental Ceramic Society 2026

Date: Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 Time: 17:30 Venue: Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BE and on Zoom Who: OCS members only This is to give OCS members notice that the Oriental Ceramic Society AGM 2026 will take place at 17:30 on Wednesday 3rd of  June 2025 at the Society of Antiquaries, […]
03 Jun
5:30 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
Silver-gilt mounted porcelain bowl and silver gilt cover known as the Lennard Cup. Incised lotus scrolls on exterior, interior of white hare in reserve against landscape in underglaze cobalt blue. Ming dynasty, mid-16th century, mounts with London hallmark for 1569. Copyright SOAS All rights reserved 

‘Porcelain Through the Ages’: Exhibiting China at 25 Park Lane (1934)

Speaker: Professor Stacey Pierson Details of the lecture will follow shortly. Members do not need to book to attend this lecture. 5:30 pm – AGM 6:15 pm – Lecture begins Image:  Silver-gilt mounted porcelain bowl and silver gilt cover known as the Lennard Cup. Incised lotus scrolls on exterior, interior of white hare in reserve […]
03 Jun
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Society of Antiquaries of London
Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BE
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