This lecture will explore how British ideas of Cyprus change over the course of the 19th century, and how they are reflected in material culture such as ceramics produced for domestic audiences. Drawing on examples from CVAR’s own collections and elsewhere, the speaker will explore the ways in which images on transferware, and the forms of art pottery and souvenir ornaments, relate to changing ideas of Cyprus in the popular imagination, and respond to the presence of Cypriot antiquities in UK museums and galleries as sources of design inspiration.
Anna Reeve is a material culture historian whose research interests focus on the excavation and collection of Cypriot antiquities and their reception in the UK, especially in museums. Her doctoral thesis explored the ancient Cypriot collection at Leeds Museums and Galleries, and its histories of excavation, collection and display. She has recently co-edited (with Dr Thomas Kiely and Dr Lindy Crewe) Empire and excavation. Critical perspectives on archaeology in British-period Cyprus, 1878–1960 (Sidestone Press, 2025). She is Co-Chair of the Classical Collections Network, which supports the study and use of Classical collections in UK museums.
The lecture will be followed by a short Q&A.
Free admission
This event is supported by The Hellenic Initiative Canada.
Source: CVAR Newsletter
Feature photo source: M Ford Creech
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