ICMA Annual IDEA Lecture
John of Marignolli, The Tribute Horse, and East-West Encounters in the Fourteenth Century
Nancy Wu, Educator Emerita, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Monday, 17 April 2023
5.30pm ET
Reception to follow
In person and online via Zoom
612 Schermerhorn
Columbia University
New York City
Register HERE
Zhou Lang, "Tribute Horse" (original of 1342 now lost, Ming-dynasty copy). Beijing, The Palace Museum. From Yu Hui, Yuan Dynasty Paintings (Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Press, 2005), 230-231.
In 1342, the Franciscan John of Marignolli, as papal nuncio, presented a horse to the Mongol Emperor of China. When scrutinized, the seemingly cordial exchange reveals a multitude of encounters across temporal and geographic boundaries—over 1,300 years and from Avignon to Xanadu. This paper will discuss and consider the event’s historical and cultural implications against the backdrop of the so-called Mongol Mission in medieval China.
Nancy Wu is Educator Emerita of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she was responsible for education at The Cloisters for over twenty years. For decades she has worked extensively on various aspects of Gothic architecture and the Cloisters collection. Since 2020, she has been devoted to the history of the Franciscan mission in fourteenth-century China.
Register HERE
About the ICMA Annual IDEA Lecture
Convened by the IDEA Committee, the ICMA Annual IDEA Lecture showcases research by ICMA members that engages, in content, method, or disciplinary practice, issues of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility.