Background
Rawson, Jessica Mary was born on January 20, 1943 in London. Daughter of Roger Nathaniel and Paula (Webber) Quirk.
(The Chinese have revered the mystery and magic of jade si...)
The Chinese have revered the mystery and magic of jade since ancient times. This authoritative book provides an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of six thousand years of development, from the earliest cultures to the twentieth century. The author describes and assesses the variety of roles and functions, ritual and ceremonial, which jade has played in China. Recent discoveries from hitherto little known neolithic cultures of around 3000 BC have highlighted the extraordinary skills of the craftsmen and the complexity of the cultures that supported them. Other remarkable finds include the precursors of the famous jade suits, which range from jade plaques and shrouds dating from about 900 BC to superb pendants and sword fittings carved for a king buried near Canton in around 122 BC. This catalogue describes over 300 outstanding pieces from Sir Joseph Hotung's collection, which spans the history of jade in China. Drawing upon the very latest archaeological research to set jade in its historical and artistic context, this work will stand as a definitive reference for many years to come. In her wide-ranging introduction to the catalogue the author analyses the arguments and sets out new views, supplementing this major essay with a series of shorter introductions to the chronological sections into which the jades of different types, shapes and functions have been divided. The book is fully illustrated throughout with specially commissioned photographs of each piece from the collection, all in color, along with comparative examples from the rich collection of the British Museum.
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Rawson, Jessica Mary was born on January 20, 1943 in London. Daughter of Roger Nathaniel and Paula (Webber) Quirk.
Bachelor, Cambridge University, England, 1965. Master of Arts, Cambridge University, England, 1967. Bachelor, School Oriental/African Studies, United Kingdom, 1971.
Doctor of Letters, Cambridge University, 1991. Doctor of Letters (honorary), University London, 1997. Doctor of Letters (honorary), University London, 1998.
Doctor of Letters (honorary), Royal Holloway College, 1998. Doctor of Letters (honorary), University Sussex, 1998. Doctor of Letters (honorary), University Newcastle, 1999.
After many years at the British Museum, she was Warden (head) of Merton College, Oxford, from 1994 until her retirement in 2010. She served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Oxford University from 2006 for a term of five years. Rawson"s academic background is in Sinology with a particular research focus on the Cosmology of the Han period (206 British Columbia-AD 220) and its relation to tombs and their decoration.
Educated at Street Paul"s Girls" School in Hammersmith, West London, New Hall, Cambridge and the University of London, Rawson began her career in the civil service before moving to the British Museum.
Between 1976-1994, she served as Deputy Keeper and then Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities at the Museum, before resigning to become Warden of Merton College, Oxford. She has been involved in a number of high-profile exhibitions such as the Mysteries of Ancient China.
Rawson contributed with Evelyn South. Rawski and other scholars to the catalogue of China: The Three Emperors by Frances Wood. The exhibition ran at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2005-2006.
(The Chinese have revered the mystery and magic of jade si...)
(A guide to the arts of China. It explains why Chinese sil...)
(Book by Rawson, Jessica)
(Great ornament book!)
American Academy of Arts and Sciences]
Rawson is a Fellow of the British Academy, a member of the Scholars" Council of the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress and a member of the Art Fund"s Advisory Council.
Married John Graham Rawson.