Empire of Things
Exhibition
Exhibition Overview
Empire of Things
Kris Ercums, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
October 15, 2016–May 16, 2021
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
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400s, Sasanian dynasty (224–651)

circa 1926–1928
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late 600–early 500 BCE
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1700–1735
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1800s, Qajar period (1794–1925)
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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circa 1700s
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1200s, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)
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1000s–1100s, Goryeo dynasty (918–1392)

probably after 1877

late 1800s
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late 1800s, Meiji period (1868–1912)
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mid 1700s, mark and reign of Qianlong period (1736–1795), Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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1700s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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Qianlong period (1736–1795), Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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1700s–1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
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1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
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mid 1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)
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1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)
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1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)
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1800s, Qajar period (1794–1925)
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circa 1800s, Qajar period (1795–1925)

1890–1920, Qing dynasty (1644–1911) to Republic of China (1911–1949)
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1850–1875, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)

1800s, Edo period (1600–1868)

1600, Edo period (1600–1868)

Edo period (1600–1868)

1850s, Edo period (1600–1868) or Meiji period (1868–1912)

late 1600s, Edo period (1600–1868)

circa 1850s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Edo period (1600–1868)

1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
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1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)
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Ptolemaic Period, 305–30 BCE
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1895, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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1200–1300s, Ilkhanid dynasty (1256–1353)

mid 1900s
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late 1800s
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early 1900s
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circa 1769–1795
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circa 1855–1890
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Middle Bronze Age (2000–1600 BCE)
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1860–1891
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Neo–Assyrian Empire, 911 BCE–612 BCE
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late 600–early 500 BCE
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200s–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

circa 1890
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1920–1922
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mid 1700s
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circa 1750–1765
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circa 1750–1765
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circa late 1800s
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1694
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1660–1670
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circa 1826
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circa 1700
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circa 1775–1780
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circa 300 BCE, Ptolemaic Kingdom, 332 BCE–30 CE
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early 1500s
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1500s or 1800s

circa 1465–1469
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early 1100s
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late 1500s
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circa 100 CE, Roman Empire (27 BCE–476 CE)
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early 1500s
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1700s
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circa 1500–1530
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late 300s–200s BCE, Hellenistic period (323–146 BCE)

circa 1735–1740
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1500s–1700s
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1100s
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early 1400s
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circa early 1500s
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circa 1500
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circa 1500
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300s–mid 400s, late Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE) or Early Christian (100–500 CE)
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circa 300 BCE, Ptolemaic period (330–30 BCE)

late 1500s
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circa 1710
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circa 100 BCE–100 CE, Roman Empire
(27 BCE–395 CE)
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circa 100s CE

early 1900s
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late 1890s–early 1900s
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late 1400s
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late 1600s–early 1700s
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1924–1931
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circa 1920s, Republic period, (1923–present)

1828–1835

mid-late 1800s
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circa 1870
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circa 200s CE, Roman Empire (27 BCE–395 CE)

circa 1780

late 1600s–early 1700s

late 1600s–early 1700s

late 1500s
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early 1500s
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early 1600s
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circa 2500 BCE, Old Kingdom (circa 2575 BCE–2150 BCE)

1850–1900
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mid 1900s

1800s, Qing dynasty, 1644–1911

1100s–1200s, Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279)

circa 1900–1910

late 1800s, Ottoman Empire (1299–1923)

circa 1630

circa 1913

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)

circa 1770

circa 1638–1640

late 1800s

mid 1800s–early 1900s

1905–1910
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early 1900s

1907
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early 1900s
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1830–1840

circa 1570–1590

circa 1899
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

mid 1800s

1700s
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Greco–Roman Empire, 800s BCE–400s CE
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late 1800s, Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
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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)

late 1800s
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1900s
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circa 1810
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1900s
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early 1800s
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1700s

late 1700s
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1800s

late 1800s–1914

mid 1900s

1850–1890
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late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s
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late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s–early 1900s

late 1800s

1960s–1970s

mid-late 1900s

circa 1900

November 1, 1895, Meiji period (1868–1912)

1800s

late 1400s, Lodi dynasty (1451–1526)

mid 1700s

circa 1997

1800s, Edo Period (1600–1868)
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200–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
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200–300s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE
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300–400s, Roman Empire, 27 BCE–476 CE

late 1900s

1700s

circa 1670

circa 1670

2010
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circa 1920s, Republic Period (1923–present)
Events
March 11, 2017
Activity
1:00–4:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 406, John and Linda Stewart Gallery
February 19, 2017
Talk
2:00–3:30PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Gallery 401, Lester "Dusty" Loo 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
February 23, 2020
Talk
2:00–3:00PM
Spencer Museum of Art, Lester "Dusty" Loo Gallery, 401