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SAM Downtown – Saturday University Lecture Series
February 8, 2020 @ 1:00 am - February 9, 2020 @ 1:00 pm PST
Saturday University Winter 2019
Saturday University: Silk and Fashion in Tang China
Jan 11 2020
Seattle Art Museum
Plestcheeff Auditorium
10 AM – 11:30 AM
Silk and the Logics of Cosmopolitan Empire in Tang China
BuYun Chen, Swarthmore College
Commonly regarded as the golden age of Chinese history, the Tang dynasty
was marked by impressive economic growth, political innovations, the
flourishing of art and literature, and increased contact with the
outside world. From the sixth to eighth century, trade along the Silk
Road and Tang imperial expansion into Central Asia filtered new goods,
technology, and people into the frontier towns and interior cities of
the empire. The dynamism of this trade yielded a profound impact on the
production of luxury goods—especially, silk textiles—by introducing Tang
artisans to a new stock of patterns, colors, and techniques. This talk
will explore the critical role that these artisans and weavers played in
the making of a cosmopolitan empire.
About the Presenter
BuYun Chen, Assistant Professor of History at Swarthmore College, specializes in the history of textile production, fashion, and craft technology in premodern China. Her book, Empire of Style: Silk and Fashion in Tang China was published in 2019. Her current research explores how the circulation of raw materials, finished goods, and technical knowledge between China, Japan, and Southeast Asia shaped local craft practices.
South Hall doors open at 9:30 am.
OTHER LECTURES IN THIS SERIES
JAN 11
Silk and the Logics of Cosmopolitan Empire in Tang China
JAN 18
The 21st Century Silk Road: China’s Belt and Road Initiative