Chinese Ceramics

Short course

+44 (0)20 7942 2000
Sold out

Take a deep dive into the V&A's outstanding collection of Chinese ceramics, with handling sessions, gallery visits and lectures under the guidance of ceramic experts…


  • Get up-close with objects from the collections of the V&A and the British Museum through object-handling sessions and gallery tours.

  • Participate in group discussion and receive individual contact time with course tutors.

  • Enjoy in-depth lectures with expert speakers.

  • Led by V&A Course Director Dr Helen Glaister and V&A curator Ricarda Brosch, guest lecturers include Chinese ceramic specialists Rose Kerr, Rosemary Scott and Ivy Chan.

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Portrait of Course Director Dr Helen Glaister

Course Director
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.

I enjoyed all of the sessions... It was amazing to see these fabulous items up close. 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.

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V&A Academy. Learn, the V&A way.

Through a combination of lectures, gallery visits and object handling at the V&A, explore the collections under the expert guidance of curators and ceramic specialists.

Enrol now

Short course: Chinese Ceramics

12 June 2023 - 16 June 2023

£395.00

Sold out

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)