Empire of Things

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Empire of Things
Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
Gallery 401, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Why do we collect things? Where do the prized objects and artwork in museums come from? Empire of Things asks these questions and more by exploring the relationships among objects, the people who made them, and the people who collected, studied, and displayed them. The exhibition includes a range of artworks, including architectural fragments, ceramics, jewelry, furniture, paintings, and sculpture.

Exhibition images

Works of art

400s, Sasanian dynasty (224–651)
Victor Durand Jr., Vineland Flint Glass Works
circa 1926–1928
late 600–early 500 BCE
1700–1735
rug
1800s, Qajar period (1794–1925)
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
circa 1700s
1200s, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
1000s–1100s, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
late 1800s
late 1800s, Meiji period (1868–1912)
mid 1700s, mark and reign of Qianlong period (1736–1795), Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
1700s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Qianlong period (1736–1795), Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
jar
1700s–1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
mid 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)
1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)
cup
1800s, Qajar period (1794–1925)
circa 1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)
Bi Rongjiu
1890–1920, Qing dynasty (1644–1911) to Republic of China (1911–1949)
1850–1875, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Tetsugendō Naofusa
1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Kinai School
1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Hirata School
1600, Edo period (1600–1868)
Tsu Jinpo
Edo period (1600–1868)
Ishiguro Masakatsu
1850s, Edo period (1600–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)
Umetada (Okada) Zenzaemon Nobumasa
late 1600s, Edo period (1600–1868)
circa 1850s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Ōtsuki Mitsuhiro
Edo period (1600–1868)
Gōto School
1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ptolemaic Period, 305–30 BCE
Yan Yutian
1895, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
1200–1300s, Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1353)
Elie Nadelman
mid 1900s
Roman Bronze Works
early 1900s
Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd.
circa 1769–1795
circa 1855–1890
Middle Bronze Age (2000–1600 BCE)
Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd.
1860–1891
Neo–Assyrian Empire, 911 BCE–612 BCE
late 600–early 500 BCE
200s–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom
1800s
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd
circa 1890
Paul Teeter
1920–1922
mid 1700s
Circle of Ignaz Günther
circa 1750–1765
Circle of Ignaz Günther
circa 1750–1765
Circle of Bernard Bellotto
1723–1780
William Tyler
1694
Gillis van Tilborgh
1660–1670
Robert Gibb
circa 1826
Antonio Canova
1806
Thomas Patch
circa 1775–1780
circa 300 BCE, Ptolemaic Kingdom, 332 BCE–30 CE
Angelica Kauffman
1783
1500s or 1800s
Niccoló Fiorentino
circa 1465–1469
Michael Henry Spang, Edward Burch
after 1761
circa 100 CE, Roman Empire (27 BCE–476 CE)
1700s
Andrea Riccio
circa 1500–1530
Joseph Wright of Derby
1771–1773
late 300s–200s BCE, Hellenistic period (323–146 BCE)
Bernardino Ludovisi
circa 1735–1740
1500s–1700s
early 1400s
Master of the Apollini Sacrum
late 1400s
Giovanni Francesco Rustici
circa early 1500s
300s–mid 400s, late Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE) or Early Christian (100–500 CE)
circa 300 BCE, Ptolemaic period (330–30 BCE)
Pietro Tacca
late 1500s
circa 1710
circa 100 BCE–100 CE, Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE)
circa 100s CE
Johann Joachim Kändler, Meissen Porcelain Factory
late 1890s–early 1900s
late 1400s
Jean-Léon Gérôme
1881
Cristoforo Monari
late 1600s–early 1700s
Durand Art Glass
1924–1931
Robert Garrard I
1812
circa 1920s, Republic period, (1923–present)
Friedrich Nerly
1828–1835
Charles Marion Russell
1925
Carl Spitzweg
mid-late 1800s
William Morris, Morris, Marshal, Faulkner & Co.
circa 1870
circa 200s CE, Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE)
circa 1780
Marc Antonio Franceschini
late 1600s–early 1700s
Marc Antonio Franceschini
late 1600s–early 1700s
early 1500s
Giambologna
early 1600s
circa 2500 BCE, Old Kingdom (circa 2575 BCE–2150 BCE)
mid 1900s
1800s, Qing dynasty, 1644–1911
1100s–1200s, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)
Rookwood Pottery, William Purcell McDonald
1882
Max Ernst
1948
Henri Jacobs
circa 1900–1910
late 1800s, Ottoman Empire (1299–1923)
Claude Lorrain
circa 1630
Adelheid Lange Roosevelt
circa 1913
Jan van Vucht, Anthonie Palamedesz.
circa 1625–1632
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE)
circa 300 BCE, Warring States period (BCE 481–BCE 221)
Philip James de Loutherbourg
circa 1770
Jan Both
circa 1638–1640
late 1800s
Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi
mid 1800s–early 1900s
Louis Comfort Tiffany
1905–1910
early 1900s
Louis Comfort Tiffany
1925
Louis Comfort Tiffany
1925
Irene Bishop, Rookwood Pottery
1907
Dirck Santvoort
1643
1830–1840
Bernard Palissy and Workshop
circa 1570–1590
Lilla Cabot Perry
circa 1899
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Charles François Daubigny
circa 1863–1873
Coalport Porcelain Works
mid 1800s
Coalport Porcelain Works
mid 1800s
1700s
Greco–Roman Empire, 800s BCE–400s CE
late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
1200 BCE–1000 BCE, late Shang dynasty (circa 1600–1046 BCE) to early Western Zhou dynasty (circa 1120–770 BCE)
early 1900s, Meiji period (1868–1912)
1750s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
1700s or 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Black, Starr and Frost
late 1800s
John Edward Terrey & Co.
circa 1810
1700s
late 1700s
unrecorded Chokwe artist
late 1800s–1914
unrecorded Ife artist
mid 1900s
unrecorded A:shiwi (Zuñi) artist
1900–1940
unrecorded Mojave artist
1850–1890
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Asante artist
late 1800s–early 1900s
unrecorded Mumuye artist
late 1800s
unrecorded Asante artist
1800s
unrecorded Asante artist
1700s
unrecorded Native Alaskan artist
1875–1925
unrecorded Ifugao artist
1950s
Lucy M. Lewis
1960s–1970s
unrecorded Bassa artist
mid-late 1900s
unrecorded Kongo artist
circa 1900
Peter Hutchinson
1969
late 1400s, Lodi dynasty (1451–1526)
Benjamin Martin
mid 1700s
Dale Chihuly
circa 1997
Yeesookyung
2009
1800s, Edo Period (1600–1868)
200–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
200–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
jar
300–400s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
Nicolaes Maes
circa 1670
Nicolaes Maes
circa 1670
Karen LaMonte
2010
circa 1920s, Republic Period (1923–present)

Events

February 19, 2017
Talk
2:00–3:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 401, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery
March 11, 2017
Activity
1:00–4:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 406, John and Linda Stewart Gallery
April 9, 2017
Talk
2:00–3:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 401, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery
October 26, 2017
Talk
10:00–11:00AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 401, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery
February 11, 2018
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
March 11, 2018
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
November 18, 2018
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
December 13, 2018
Talk
10:15–11:15AM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
May 18, 2019
Activity
1:00–3:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
January 26, 2020
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401
February 23, 2020
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401