Forbes Colloquium on Conservation and Scientific Research: A Codex in Late Antiquity
Schedule
Wed Sep 24 2025 at 05:00 pm to 08:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington D.C., DC, United States, Washington, District of Columbia 20013 | Washington, DC
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Cost: free; Registration in advance requiredYou can attend this event both virtually and in-person.
The 2025 Forbes Colloquium will mark the launch of a major new research initiative focused on the Washington Gospels Codex—also known as the Freer Codex or Codex Washingtonianus. As one of the earliest surviving parchment codices of the Gospels and a significant object of the National Museum of Asian Art’s collections, this manuscript offers a unique opportunity for renewed scholarly and scientific inquiry.
This colloquium will introduce the project’s scope and goals, highlighting the collaborative efforts of an international, multidisciplinary team. Speakers will discuss the codex’s significance and outline ongoing and upcoming scientific and conservation research that will guide future studies.
The colloquium, organized by the National Museum of Asian Art’s Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, will be held in the Meyer Auditorium on September 24, 2025.
A reception will follow in the museum courtyard.
Speakers:
Chase Robinson, Dame Jillian Sackler Director, National Museum of Asian Art
Jiří Vnouček, Visiting Senior Researcher, Royal Library Denmark
Rhea DeStefano and Kesha Talbert, Paper Conservators, National Museum of Asian Art
The symposium is free; registration is required to attend in person due to limited space.
This colloquium is supported by the Edward W. Forbes Fund, established through a bequest by John Thacher in honor of his colleague Edward Waldo Forbes, former director of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University and a pioneer in the technical examination of art.
Image credit: National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, Freer Collection, Gift of Charles Lang Freer, F1906.274 / Department of Conservation and Scientific Research
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Where is it happening?
1050 Independence Ave SW, Washington D.C., DC, United States, Washington, District of Columbia 20013Event Location & Nearby Stays:
