Global Analysis of Changes in Shape over Time based on Digitised Artefacts: The East-Asian Perspective

Lisandra (Lia) Costiner (OXR Hub), Giovanni Pala (University of Oxford) in collaboration with Richard Smith (OXR Hub), Yidan Liu (University of Edinburgh), Shuofei Wang (University of Durham), and the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.

This pilot study develops and tests the use of a novel computational approach for the analysis of changes in shape of historical artefacts across time, in the context of East-Asian pottery. In particular, the approach will be tested on a number of Chinese vases deriving from late Ming and early Qing Dynasties (1620-1683). The study, conducted in partnership with the Ashmolean Museum, will 3D scan Chinese pottery and use computer algorithms to analyse them. The East-Asian perspective is crucial in understanding the adaptability of the approach to different geographical regions and time periods, contributing to the construction of a global history of shape evolution and design progression over time.

The research will be presented at the Digital Humanities 2022 conference in July 2022.