history

Video: Reimagining of ‘Ballet des Porcelaines’ probes the complex cultural work behind the making of porcelain

By Lisa McDonald / November 16, 2022

When art historian Meredith Martin was introduced to an 18th-century ballet that allegorically depicts Europe’s pursuit of porcelain, she knew pursuing a historically accurate reconstruction of the ballet would risk reinforcing harmful racial stereotypes and exoticization of Asian cultures. Instead, she and choreographer Phil Chan conceived of a restaging that would center Asian American experience within this history.

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Video: Golem, the clay creature of Jewish lore

By Lisa McDonald / October 28, 2020

When we think about ceramics in history, we typically think of ancient pottery and art. But clay also is the material used to create an animated anthropomorphic being in Jewish lore called a golem. In the spirit of Halloween, today’s CTT takes a look at the history of this creature and depictions of it in contemporary media.

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Charting the future by mapping the past: Visualizing the evolution of ceramic research

By April Gocha / July 8, 2015

In a new paper published in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society, authors Sylvain Deville and Adam J. Stevenson provide a visual evolution of ceramics research through data mining of bibliographic records.

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O Christmas tree: Tinsel’s evolution and tree authenticity pros and cons

By April Gocha / December 19, 2014

Whether you decorate your Christmas tree with tinsel or not, there’s perhaps a more debated question looming—real or artificial? April breaks it down in classic fashion—a pros and cons list.

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PBS documentary ‘How We Got to Now’ highlights glass’s past

By April Gocha / October 29, 2014

Steven Johnson hosts a new PBS documentary miniseries episode, called “How We Got to Now,” that highlights glass’s intriguing past.

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