Tullia Fraser
BA (Hons) MA FSAScot
I am a final-year PhD candidate and museum professional based in Scotland. Born and raised in Hong Kong, I am of mixed Chinese and Scottish heritage, and my core research interest is in the movement of Chinese material culture between these two regions from 1830 CE to the present day. Researching where museum objects come from informs how we can best care for and utilise them now, and I consider this core to a museum's duties. My other interests include Chinese lacquerware and furniture; and the history of archaeology in Hong Kong.
Prior to my doctoral studies, I attained degrees in Archaeology, and Museum and Artefact Studies from Durham University. I was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland; and a lifetime member of the Hong Kong Archaeological Society. I am native in English, Cantonese and Putonghua.
My PhD is hosted between the University of Glasgow, National Museums Scotland and Durham University; funded by AHRC/SGSAH. It focuses on how Scotland's Chinese collections were formed between 1862–1946. It is a reflection of my interests in Chinese material culture, provenance research, and history of collections.
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I have also taken up training and placement fellowships to hone my specialism and further my curatorial skills. At the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A, 2022), I undertook a provenance research into the East Asian Collection, leading to among other things, the publication of provenance data pertaining to 43,000+ objects acquired by the Museum between 1852–1912. My six-month placement with the Oriental Museum, Durham University (2024), allowed me to support many aspects of the Museum's operations, including the refreshed permanent display of ceramics in the Malcolm MacDonald Gallery of China.
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My doctoral studies are supported by my previous roles in museums and heritage organisations across Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, with a main focus on East Asian collections.
I have taken up paid and unpaid roles in the following institutions: the Oriental Museum (Durham University), the Victoria & Albert Museum, University Museum and Art Gallery (the University of Hong Kong), Liang Yi Museum, the Royal Collection Trust, and Durham County Records Office. My roles have spanned across curatorial, collections management and care, learning and outreach, teaching, volunteer training and management, editing and translating. Through my PhD research, I have also been affiliated with or worked alongside the following institutions: National Museums Scotland, Raby Castle, and Aberdeen Art Gallery.​