Collections & Research Staff
Ka Bo Tsang
Assistant Curator
B.A., Chinese Lit. & Art History, University of Hong Kong, 1969
M.A., Chinese Art History, University of Hong Kong, 1971
Ph.D., Chinese Art History, University of Hong Kong, 1984
Ka Bo Tsang is a curator of Chinese pictorial art, she has published internationally on highlights from the ROM's collections and on symbolism in Chinese art. Her research interests range from Chinese fans, portraits, blue-and-white textiles to Chinese embroideries.
Over the past few years Dr. Tsang has curated a number of exhibitions: More than Keeping Cool: Chinese Fans and Fan Paintings (2001-02), Touched by Indigo: Chinese Blue-and-White Textiles and Embroidery (2004-2005) and Heaven or Hell: Images of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Deities and Immortals (2006-2007) Dr. Tsang was also the curatorial representative for The Allure of Edo: Japanese Paintings of the Floating World, a travelling exhibition circulated by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (2007).
Ka Bo’s responsibilities include the care, documentation, research, display, and growth of the collections she oversees. In addition, she regularly participates in the ROM’s identification service for the public, the annual research colloquium, March Break activities, fundraising programs, special tours, and lecturing.
Dr. Tsang’s most recent exhibition was Trade Winds: Chinese Export Wares from the 8th to 20th centuries, which was on view in the Herman Herzog Levy Gallery at the ROM until April 6, 2008. This exhibition presented some of the most popular goods China produced and exported, through the centuries, to many countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. They included ceramics, wallpapers, watercolours, textiles, lacquerware, ivory carving, and silverware.
In addition to Chinese pictorial arts and textiles, Dr. Tsang’s interests also include Chinese decorative arts, religion, social customs, and symbolism.
Recent Publications
| 2007 | ““Heaven or Hell.” Rotunda 39, No. 3, pp. 24-31. |
| 2006 | “The Dependable Dog, A Firmest Friend.” Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Vol. 38, No. 2: 15-36. |
| 2006 | “The Paradise of Maitreya: A Yuan Dynasty Mural from Shanxi Province.” Orientations, Vol. 37, No. 3: 60-65. |
| 2006 | “In Her Majesty’s Service: Women Painters in China at the Court of the Empress Dowager Cixi.” Local/Global: Women Artists in the Nineteenth Century, edited by D. Cherry and J. Helland. Aldershot: Ashgate, pp. 35-57. |
| 2005 | Touched by Indigo: Chinese Blue-and-White Textiles and Embroidery. Toronto: Royal Ontario Museum. |
| 2005 | “China Blues.” Rotunda, 38(2): 22-31. |
| 2005 | “Explosive Fury, Electrifying Strength: Cockfighting in China.” Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Vol. 37, No. 2: 12-19. |
| 2004 | “Magical Monkey.” Journal of the International Chinese Snuff Bottle Society, Vol. 36, No. 3: 5-17. |
Publications List (PDF)
Galleries
Herman Herzog Levy Gallery
Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art
Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of China
Past Exhibitions
Trade Winds: Chinese Export Wares from the 8th to 20th centuries
Drama and Desire: Japanese Paintings from the Floating World 1690-1850
Heaven or Hell: Images of Chinese Buddhist and Daoist Deities and Immortals
ROM Images
Chinese Decorative Arts
Other Links
Friends of the Far East
Podcasts
Iconic - The Paradise of Meitreya - January 14, 2010
This temple wall painting installed in the Bishop White Gallery of Chinese Temple Art forms the centrepiece of one of the world’s most important collections of Chinese temple art. Learn about this iconic ROM object, one of the best-preserved examples of its kind, and why it is a must-see treasure of the ROM.
A Reflection of Female Beauty: Katsushika Hokusai's Paintings - July 06, 2007Video Podcast (16MB, 2mins)
Written Transcript (PDF)
Assistant curator, Ka Bo Tsang provides an introduction to the exhibition Drama and Desire: Japanese Paintings from the Floating World 1690 - 1850 (June 3 to August 12, 2007), highlighting two paintings depicting women by Katsushika Hokusai's, the preeminent ukiyo-e painter.
The Man Mad About Painting: Katsushika Hokusai - July 06, 2007Video Podcast (17MB, 4m 55s)
Written Transcript (PDF)
Assistant curator, Ka Bo Tsang highlights the range and versatility of Katsushika Hokusai's work, focusing on a banner and two lanterns created by the preeminent ukiyo-e painter, that was on display in Drama and Desire: Japanese Paintings from the Floating World 1690 - 1850 (June 3 to August 12, 2007).
Video Podcast (19MB, 5m 33s)
Written Transcript (PDF)
Contact Information
Department of World Cultures
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON
M5S 2C6
Fax: 416.586.5877
E-mail: World Cultures
Ka Bo Tsang in Beijing, 2005 © image belongs to unidentified party.
Gaining first-hand experience at an indigo-dyed textile workshop in Kaili, Guizhou province in China -- applying molten wax to a piece of cotton with stencilled patterns, 2003 © image belongs to unidentified party.
