Research
My expertise is provenance research into Chinese objects collected in the United Kingdom between the late 19th–early 20th century. My wider research interests include Chinese lacquerware and furniture, and the history of archaeology in Hong Kong.
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I am open to research and project opportunities in these areas.
University of Glasgow profile​​​
National Museums Scotland profile
Scotland's Chinese collections, 1862–1946.
My PhD project explores how Chinese objects were collected by Scottish collectors and museums between 1862–1947. It does so by considering three Chinese collections (totalling around 1000 objects) housed in different Scottish museums. Using object-led, provenance, biographical and art historical approaches, I reveal the complex networks, knowledge and imaginations shared between China, Scotland, and the wider British Empire.
Duration: Ongoing, 2021–2025
Hosts: University of Glasgow, National Museums Scotland, Durham University
Funders:AHRC/SGSAH
Keywords: Provenance research, history of collecting, Chinese art, Scottish history
Minor Dealers of East Asian Objects to the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1852–1912.
My Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) project digitised provenance information pertaining to 43,000 objects in the V&A's East Asia Collection. Combining data-driven and archival research methods, I identified over 300 dealers who sold East Asian objects to the V&A in its first sixty years. My work continues to serve as foundation to other projects, including curatorial work, a second DTP project on the V&A's South Asian Collection, and an ongoing PhD project on the provenance data of the V&A's Asian Collections. As my findings are publicly available, it also serves to inform provenance research being undertaken beyond the V&A.
Duration: 2022
Hosts: Victoria &Albert Museum
Funders: AHRC/SGSAH
Keywords: Provenance research, history of collecting, history of museums
Blog on the V&A website
Article on the V&A website
Article published on the Journal of the History of Collections
The History of Archaeology in Hong Kong, 1920–1967.
I led a team of colleagues in reviewing an unreported fragmented collection of 20,000+ archaeological finds in Hong Kong, which was found without supporting documentation. Using object-led and provenance research approaches, we reconstructed the collection's biographies, suggesting that it is one of the earliest composite archaeological collections in Hong Kong, representing the efforts of amateur and professionalising archaeologists active in the city between 1920–1967. We continue to research the formation of this discipline in Hong Kong and its modern implications on the city's museums and heritage sectors.
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Duration: Ongoing, 2020–
Keywords: Provenance research, history of archaeology, collections management, Hong Kong
Raby Castle's Chinese lacquer furniture.
With the generous support from the Oriental Museum, Durham University, I undertook a review of Chinese lacquer furniture within the holdings of Raby Castle, County Durham. I conducted visual, physical and condition examinations of these objects, collating my findings for the Castle's collections management database. This can inform future potential curatorial work or outreach opportunities.
Duration: 2024
Hosts: Durham University, Raby Castle
Funders:AHRC/SGSAH
Keywords: Chinese lacquerware, Chinese furniture, collections research, collections management
