Asia Week Episode 12 A Glimpse Into Tang Dynasty

Michael C. Hughes, spent over 16 years as a Chinese specialist with Christie’s in London, New York, and Los Angeles. He has appraised a wide range of art holdings for many of the world’s finest private collections, institutions, and museums. He is the current President of the Board of Asia Week New York, an annual two-week celebration of art across the metropolitan New York area. He has authored three museum publications The Blair Bequest: Chinese Snuff Bottles from the Princeton University Art Museum, 2002, The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Chinese Snuff Bottles, 2009 and Small Treasures: The Art Institute of Chicago, Chinese Snuff Bottles, 2015. Other published material includes articles in Apollo, Arts of Asia, and Oriental Art.

Sancai (Chinese: 三彩; pinyin: sāncǎi; literally: 'three colours') is a versatile type of decoration on Chinese pottery using glazes or slip, predominantly in the three colours of brown (or amber), green, and a creamy off-white. It is particularly associated with the Tang Dynasty (618–907) and its tomb figures, appearing around 700. Therefore, it is commonly referred to as Chinese: 唐三彩 Tang Sancai in Chinese. Tang sancai wares were sometimes referred in China and the West as egg-and-spinach by dealers, for their use of green, yellow, and white, especially when combined with a streaked effect.


He was born in Cornwall, England. He now lives in New York City with his wife and two children. He is an independent Chinese art specialist.


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