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Dear MOCA Friends,
As MOCA continues to
rebuild from a devastating fire at its archives and the global effects
of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Museum remains committed to telling the
untold stories in the making of America.
The near loss of MOCA's
irreplaceable archives of 85,000+ artifacts that tell 200 years of
Chinese American history is a stark reminder of how objects bring
history to life and how quickly these stories may be lost. MOCA
believes now more than ever that it must inspire individuals to
preserve artifacts, share them with the public at-large, and provide an
educational resource to supplement missing parts of U.S. history.
We are therefore
thrilled to invite you to the launch of MOCA's newest initiative called
MOCA Treasures on the Road on Wednesday, September 30, at 6:00 P.M.
EDT.
This new program series
hosted by MOCA will feature distinct artifacts, antiques, and
collectibles held by members of the MOCA community from around the
world. Guests share their special items and the stories behind those
items while engaged in conversation with an expert scholar or
professional. The goal of the program series is to bring out the depth
and vastness of the Chinese American narrative to the MOCA community. MOCA
Treasures on the Road captures stories of celebration, hardship,
family travels, immigration, discrimination, diaspora, survival,
success, and so much more.
We are honored to present
our inaugural speaker Robert Pierce Forbes from the Forbes House
Museum. The Forbes House Museum is located atop Milton Hill,
overlooking Boston’s skyline, the Neponset River marshes, and Boston
Harbor in the distance. In the early 1600s, the Neponset Tribe settled
at this site along the Neponset River, overlooking the Great Blue
Hills. In the late 1700s, the last royal governor of Massachusetts,
Thomas Hutchinson (1711–1780), owned a 95-acre estate on Milton Hill
and spent his leisure hours planting trees and cultivating his gardens.
Their China trade collection includes 19th-century export
porcelain, paintings, furniture, and other unique items brought back
from China by Captain Robert Bennet Forbes and his family.
The first featured
artifact is an oil portrait of the powerful Chinese foreign trade
official, Houqua, (Wu Ping-chien) (1769–1843),
painted by the Chinese artist, Lamqua (Kwan Kiu-cheong) (1801–1860),
whose instructor was the English-born artist, George Chinnery
(1774–1852). The second featured artifact is a coral hat button,
which can be seen on the hat in Houqua’s portrait. This program is
moderated by a guest scholar Don J. Cohn, a writer and book
collector, and Roy I. Delbyck, MOCA Board Secretary and
member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Hong Kong.
We look forward to your
participation, and to sharing this and many more distinct artifacts,
antiques, and collectibles held by members of the MOCA community.
With sincere gratitude,
Nancy Yao Maasbach,
President, and the MOCA Team
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