Science and Heritage in Collaboration: Examining the material of Chinese Toggles Together

The Chau Chak Wing Museum and the Powerhouse Museum partnered with Sydney Analytical, one of the University of Sydney's core research facilities that provides state-of-the-art instruments and technical expertise for sample characterisation, to study the materiality of many toggles on display in China Gallery’s current exhibition Chinese Toggles: Culture in Miniature.

This panel will discuss the process of scientific testing on curatorially selected ivory and jade toggles from the Powerhouse collection, and how scientific analysis allows for non-subjective identification to confirm the suspected materiality of an object which has been classified based on a visual assessment. It demonstrates the transformative benefits of maximising understanding of unique collections through institutional collaboration. 

The speakers on the panel will be:

• Paul Donnelly, Deputy Director, Chau Chak Wing Museum
• Meredith Freeman, Conservation Manager, Powerhouse
• Dr Elizabeth Carter, Facility Manager, Vibrational Spectroscopy, Sydney Analytical
• Lorraine Leung, Professional Officer, Cultural Heritage Analyses, Sydney Analytical

Header image: installation documentation of Chinese Toggles: Culture in Miniature.