Convention
For more than half a century, the Society’s annual conventions have been the centerpiece of its intellectual and social life. Held in major cultural centers across North America, Europe, and Asia, each convention brings together collectors, scholars, curators, and dealers for several days of focused study and shared experience. Programs combine scholarly lectures, close study of institutional and private collections, museum and site visits, seminars, and benefit auctions—alongside an active Dealers’ Room, where members have the opportunity to view and acquire works from leading specialists in the field. Receptions, banquets, and informal exchange round out gatherings that reflect the Society’s enduring commitment to connoisseurship, rigor, and community.
Join us in Amsterdam for the 2026 Convention!
Our 58th annual convention will take place from Tuesday, October 13 to Saturday, October 17, 2026. Register your room today: Clayton Hotel Amsterdam American, Leidsekade 97, 1017 PN Amsterdam, Netherlands (Single: € 304.24, Double: € 324.24 - inclusive of breakfast and all taxes).
Previous Conventions
October 10-14, 1995
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Inter-Continental Hotel
Paris welcomed the Society for the first time at the twenty-seventh annual ICSBS convention, centered at the InterContinental Hotel and framed by the city’s major museums and auction houses. The program featured lectures by Victor E. Graham, Hugh M. Moss, Robert Hall, Tatiana Arapova, and S. L. Tan, alongside in-depth study at the Musée Guimet and the Musée Cernuschi, a private visit to Fontainebleau, and a snuff bottle auction at Hôtel Drouot. An Education Fund benefit auction, evening receptions, and a formal banquet with dancing underscored a convention that blended European connoisseurship with rigorous scholarship.
October 18-22, 1994
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The Sheraton Moana
The Society returned to Honolulu for the twenty-sixth annual ICSBS convention, set at the Sheraton Moana, where scholarship unfolded against a distinctly Pacific backdrop. The program featured lectures by Hugh M. Moss and Stephen Little, focused study at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, and special exhibitions highlighting jade and inside-painted snuff bottles. Seminars on collecting and interpretation, an Education Fund benefit auction, and evening events ranging from a garden luau to a formal banquet balanced academic rigor with the relaxed rhythm of the setting, with optional private collection visits extending the experience.
October 13-17, 1993
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Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
New York once again hosted the ICSBS, with the twenty-fifth annual convention centered at the Waldorf-Astoria and drawing on the city’s museums, auction houses, and collector community. The program featured lectures by Emily Byrne Curtis, Hugh M. Moss, Joan Hartman-Goldsmith, and Noel O’Connor; special exhibitions and collection viewings at Christie’s and the Taipei Cultural Centre; and a retrospective marking twenty-five years of the Society’s history. A harbor cruise, an Education Fund benefit auction, focused seminars, and a formal banquet framed a convention that blended scholarship with celebration.
September 16-20, 1992
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Waterfront Centre Hotel
Vancouver hosted the Society for the first time at the twenty-fourth annual ICSBS convention, introducing members to the city’s museums, gardens, and private collections. The program featured lectures by Hugh M. Moss, Richard John Lynn, Barry Till, and Clare Lawrence, alongside visits to the Canadian Craft Museum, the Vancouver Museum, the Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Gardens, the Bloedel Conservatory, and the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Receptions, a waterfront aquarium evening, a benefit auction, and a formal banquet anchored a convention that blended scholarship with the region’s cultural landscape.
October 9-13, 1991
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Four-Seasons Hotel
oston set the stage for the twenty-third annual ICSBS convention, hosted at the Four Seasons Hotel, where scholarship was paired with the city’s rich institutional resources. The program featured lectures by Robert D. Mowry, William R. Sargent, Cornelius Hurlbut, and Wu Tung, alongside concentrated study at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Fogg Museum, and the Busch-Reisinger Museum. Social events, a Boston-themed Tea Party, an Education Fund benefit auction, and access to both public and private collections gave the meeting a distinctly New England character grounded in academic depth.
October 31-November 4, 1990
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Hotel Conrad
The Society returned to Hong Kong for the twenty-second annual ICSBS convention, headquartered at the Hotel Conrad, reaffirming the city’s central role in scholarship, collecting, and contemporary exchange. The program blended lectures by Emily Byrne Curtis and Hugh M. Moss with unprecedented access to private Hong Kong collections, the Fung Ping Shan Museum, Chinese University galleries, and special exhibitions of imperial snuff bottles. Small-group visits, rotating collection studies, and social events—including a harbor-side banquet—gave the meeting an immersive, on-the-ground character that bridged academic study and living collecting culture.
October 25-29, 1989
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Four-Seasons Hotel
The Society returned to Chicago for the twenty-first annual ICSBS convention, headquartered at the Four Seasons Hotel on Lake Michigan, revisiting a city central to its earlier history. The program balanced art-historical interpretation with close object study, featuring lectures by Ross Edman, Barbara Banks, and Victor E. Graham, alongside extensive viewing at the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Smart Museum at the University of Chicago. Seminars on metal, lacquer, and imperial decorative arts, an Education Benefit Auction, a formal banquet, and an optional tour to the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art rounded out a convention that blended scholarly depth with Midwestern institutional strength.
October 26-30, 1988
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The Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco hosted the Society for the twentieth annual ICSBS convention, based at the Fairmont Hotel and drawing on the city’s museums, collections, and West Coast scholarship. The program featured illustrated lectures by Kay E. Black, Margaret Medley, Clarence Shangraw, and Jean F. DeMouthe; focused study at the Oakland Museum and the Asian Art Center in Golden Gate Park; and specialized seminars on Yixing bottles, stone identification, and organic materials. Receptions at Gump’s, an Education Benefit Auction, a formal banquet, and private collection visits rounded out a convention that combined technical expertise with broad curatorial access.
October 13-17, 1987
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Hyatt Carlton Tower
London provided the backdrop for the nineteenth annual ICSBS convention, held at the Hyatt Carlton Tower, where the emphasis shifted toward technique, materials, and close visual analysis. The program ranged from introductory and advanced lectures by A. Robert Kleiner, Gayle Laverlochère, Victor E. Graham, and Hugh M. Moss to behind-the-scenes access at Christie’s, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and prominent private collections. Seminars on glassblowing, imperial dress, and research resources, followed by a formal banquet and awards, gave the meeting a distinctly workshop-driven tone.
October 29-November 2, 1986
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Hyatt Regency Hotel
Returning to Baltimore and based at the Hyatt Regency on the Inner Harbor, the eighteenth annual ICSBS convention emphasized ceramic scholarship, materials analysis, and East Coast collections. The program featured illustrated lectures by Emily Byrne Curtis, John Ault, Thomas Lawton, and Crosby Forbes; focused study at the Walters Art Gallery and the National Aquarium; seminars on Qing dynasty reign marks and porcelain decoration; and a Friends of ICSBS benefit auction. Museum visits, city tours, and a formal banquet framed a convention centered on technical expertise and historical depth.