WHAT: September 25th – Plunder? – Justin Jacobs discusses his book on how museums got their treasures, the antiquities trade and theft, with Neil Schmid (ONLINE)

WHEN: Wednesday, September 25th, 2024 at 8:30-9.30PM (Beijing Time) on Zoom

ABOUT THE EVENT: Author Justin M. Jacobs will talk with Dunhuang Academy scholar Neil Schmid about the widely accepted belief that much of Western museums' treasures were acquired by imperialist plunder and theft. His account, published in a new book, Plunder?, reexamines the allegedly immoral provenance of Western collections, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of how artefacts reached Western shores. Jacobs will delve into the perspectives of Chinese, Egyptian, and other participants in the global antiquities trade over the past two and a half centuries, revealing the extent to which Western collectors were often embraced by locals. This collaborative dynamic, largely ignored by contemporary museum critics, unfolds a narrative of hope and promise for a more equitable future—a compelling reassessment of one of the institutional pillars of the Enlightenment.

Due to the speaker's location, this event will take place later than usual: from 8.30-9.30PM Beijing Time

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Justin M. Jacobs is associate professor of history at American University. He is the author of Indiana Jones in History and Xinjiang and the Modern Chinese State. He also serves as editor of The Silk Road journal and hosts Beyond Huaxia, a podcast on East Asian history.

MORE ABOUT THE MODERATOR: Neil Schmid is one of the world's leading authorities on medieval Buddhism's visual culture. He studied Chinese and East Asian Studies and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in East Asian Languages and Civilizations. He specializes in the Silk Road and Buddhist Studies with an emphasis on the archaeological sites of Dunhuang.

HOW MUCH: Free for RASBJ members. RMB 50 for members of RAS branches in London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul. RMB 100 for non-members. You may find payment by Alipay easier than by Wechat. You can also pay by credit card.

Interested in becoming an RASB member? Please sign up at http://rasbj.org/membership/​

HOW TO JOIN THE EVENT: Please click "Register" or "I will attend" before noon on September 23rd and follow the instructions. After successful registration you'll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the event online. If you seem not to have received it, please check your spam folder.

Members of partner RAS Branches: Please register 72 hours in advance to allow time for membership verification. You'll receive three emails from us: the first confirming receipt of your registration request, the second requesting payment, and the third confirming receipt of your payment, with a link to join the event online. Please check your spam folder to ensure you see all RASBJ emails.

REFUND POLICY: If RASBJ cancels the event, registrants will be refunded in full.