Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade
On view through Wednesday, Jan. 24, "Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade" explores the entwined histories of the opium trade and the Chinese art market between the late 18th and early 20th centuries. These two commodities—acquired through both legal and illicit means—had profound effects on the global economy, public health, immigration law, education and the arts that are reverberating still today. Discover how the sale of opium in China by Massachusetts merchants in the 19th century contributed to a growing appetite for Chinese art at Harvard at the start of the 20th century.