An exhibition of Chinese arts from the Scripps College Collections, “Peonies in the Garden: The Private Lives of Elite Women in Qing China,” will be on display from April 26 through May 18, 2007, at the Clark Humanities Museum.
An opening reception will take place on Thursday, May 3, at 4 p.m. in the Clark Museum. Both exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
The “Peonies in the Garden” exhibition traces the lives of two fictional sisters. One enters the Manchu imperial court as a concubine; the other marries a wealthy Han Chinese bureaucrat. The exhibition follows their lives from childhood to old age through paintings on silk, embroidered textiles, elaborate jewelry, and religious icons.
Students enrolled in the Scripps College spring semester advanced art history seminar “Arts of Late Imperial China,” have curated the exhibition under the direction of Professor Bruce Coats, noted scholar in Asian art history.
The Clark Humanities Museum is housed in the Bette Cree Edwards Humanities Building. Linked to the Humanities Program at the College, the exhibition schedule reflects the concerns of faculty teaching in the humanities and enhances specific course offerings. The Clark Museum often offers students an opportunity to curate a professional exhibition. The museum is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, please contact the Clark Humanities Museum Office at (909) 607-3606.