Oriental Ceramic Society

The Oriental Ceramic Society (OCS) is one of the leading international societies for the study and appreciation of Asian art, with a special interest in ceramics. However its wider focus is the study and appreciation of all aspects of oriental art, and over the last 90 years has served as one of the main bodies assisting the understanding of oriental art, and oriental ceramics in particular, by means of organising regular meetings, lectures and publications.

The Society was founded in London in 1921 by a group of collectors and others interested in oriental ceramics. Since then, many notable art historians and collectors have joined the OCS, have given lectures to the Society and have written articles for publication in the annual Transactions of the Oriental Ceramic Society (TOCS, currently edited by Dr Stacey Pierson). The Transactions are a highly regarded journal on Asian art, and the annual Newsletter brings news on Asian art from around the world. Through lectures, handling sessions, exhibitions and publications, the Society has provided an influential forum in which its members have developed and exchanged their knowledge with experts and academics.

In the 1950s and ‘60s a regular exhibition programme was organized, which consecutively covered the arts of the major Chinese dynasties, Tang (618–907), Song (960–1279), Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911), but also highlighted special topics such as the various Song dynasty ceramics, and blue-and-white, monochrome and polychrome wares from the Ming and Qing. These exhibitions were mounted at the Arts Council Gallery in St. James, London. The Silver Jubilee of the Society in 1971 saw a major exhibition on The Ceramic Art of China held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The Society continues to provide academic and introductory lectures throughout the year on all aspects of Asian art, in particular on Chinese ceramics, jades, paintings and Middle Eastern art. It hosts handling sessions of items from the main London museums, such as the British Museum, Sir Percival David Collection, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as members’ collections. It has traditionally organised outings to English country houses, visits to private collections, guided tours to exhibitions as well as overseas trips as a means to promote the subject and as an educational resource. The Society currently has members throughout the world, and its meetings in London are mostly held on the premises of the Society of Antiquaries, next to the Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly (although activities are also organised in New York). The Society's patron is HRH The Duke of Gloucester.

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