Courtesy China Institute

One-Day Symposium: Forging the Sacred: Imagery, Ritual & Power in Shang–Zhou Bronzes
Saturday, May 24, 2025, 9:30am-5:30pm
Tickets: $25 (Members & Students); $40 (Adult)
40 Rector St, 2nd fl⁠⁠

Held in conjunction with the China Institute Gallery’s exhibition Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes from the Minneapolis Institute of Art, this one-day symposium brings together leading scholars in art history and archaeology to explore the ceremonial and political dimensions of bronze in the Shang and Zhou dynasties.

Through several presentations, speakers will examine how bronze vessels and images were not only crafted as material objects but also forged as instruments of sacred authority, ancestral communication, and social hierarchy. Topics will include the symbolic language of bronze iconography, the role of bronze in royal legitimation, and new insights from recent archaeological discoveries. Together, these perspectives shed light on how bronze shaped early Chinese ritual practice, political culture, and systems of meaning.

The symposium invites scholars, students, and the public to reflect on the enduring legacy of one of ancient China’s most powerful ceremonial technologies.

To learn more and reserve your tickets, click here.