Although the Jiangnan region of China, meaning “south of the Yangtze,” was the site of the first Ming dynasty capital, the court relocated to the north of China half a century after the dynasty’s founding. From this time, emperors and their immediate families were largely absent from the culture of this prosperous and vibrant heartland. But many ties still linked the culture of Jiangnan’s “Southern Paradise” and that of the Ming court. This lecture focuses on what artworks, as well as literature, can tell us about the often-fraught relationship between Jiangnan, its people, and their distant rulers in the north.

Ivory has long been a valued luxury material around the world; associated with the powerful elephant, it has a beautiful luster and can be finely carved into dynamic objects. The history of ivory in art gives an insight into trade routes and relationships between Africa and Europe, but it also has a darker side. The trade in elephant ivory has caused irreparable harm to elephant populations and is now strictly controlled, affecting even the travel and loan of artworks. Learn more about this fascinating material and explore objects made of ivory and other similar media in the CMA galleries.

In conjunction with two upcoming exhibitions that explore images of women’s labor during the 19th century—Degas and the Laundress: Women, Work, and Impressionism (Cleveland Museum of Art, October 8, 2023–January 14, 2024) and Mary Cassatt at Work (Philadelphia Museum of Art, May 18–September 8, 2024)—scholars from around the globe present on an international range of topics related to the visual culture of working women.

Have you ever wondered how works of art that may be hundreds or thousands of years old are prepared for display in our galleries? Join CMA objects conservator Beth Edelstein and mount makers Philip Brutz and Dante Rodriguez to learn how mount makers collaborate with curators, exhibition designers, conservators, and collections-care staff to create innovative mounts for some of the most challenging objects in the collection. See how skills in engineering, fabrication, and machining are used in a museum setting. (Yes, math really does come in handy in an art museum!)