Birgitta Helen Persson Swain
Research title: Chinese painted silks: craftmanship and fashion in the 18th century
Research summary
Research Summary
My research focuses on Chinese painted silks of the type exported to the West for clothing and furnishing in the eighteenth century and traces their development, global impact and appeal through several case studies. Made by Chinese craftsmen ostensibly for European and American markets, Chinese painted trade silks reflect multiple cultural traditions, ideas and aesthetic preferences, and provide unique insight into the mechanisms of global cultural exchange in the early modern period. The research will explore and highlight the role of Chinese material culture within histories of western fashionable dress, challenging the Eurocentric view of fashion as a western phenomenon.
Research Interests
- Chinese trade textiles.
- Fashion and furnishings in 18th century Europe and America.
- The role of Chinese trade textiles in shaping ideas about China, and creating identities.
Supervisors
External supervisors
Dr Stephen McDowall, University of Edinburgh.
Grants
- SGSAH AHRC DTP Doctoral Award, October 2021-present.
- Research Training Support Grant, May 2022.
Conferences
- "Pioneering Swedish Women in Chinese Textile Research". Conference, Margrethe Hald and the Nordic History of Textile Research, University of Copenhagen, 22 April 2022.
- "East Asian Influences in Swedish Fashion". New Research in Dress History conference, Association of Dress Historians (online), 8 June 2021.
- "East Asian in Swedish Fashion". Symposium Silk Road Textiles: Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage, International Association for the Study of Silk Road Textiles, Korea National University of Cultural Heritage, Buyeo, 7 November 2018.
Teaching
- Handling session on Hunterian Chinese textiles and lecture on fashion, MSc Collecting and Provenance, November 2022-present.
- V&A Academy: Early Medieval and Textiles, 2012-present.
Additional information
Memberships
- Board member International Association of the Study of Silk Road Textiles
- Elected member the Costume Society (UK)
- Board member The Agnes Geijer Foundation for Nordic Textile Research
