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 23-27, 1985
–
Fairmont Hotel Dallas
Anchored in Dallas at the Fairmont Hotel, the seventeenth annual ICSBS convention combined close object study with major Texas museum collections and regional culture. The program featured illustrated lectures by Victor E. Graham, Hugh M. Moss, and Daphne Rosenzweig; guided visits to the Dallas Museum of Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, and the Amon Carter Museum of Western Art; seminars on jade and Qing dynasty culture; and private collection viewings. A formal banquet with Chinese dress and a fashion presentation, along with an optional tour to the Meadows Museum and Dallas-area collections, rounded out the gathering.
October 31-November 4, 1984
–
Century Plaza
Set in Los Angeles at the Century Plaza Hotel, the sixteenth annual ICSBS convention emphasized conservation, connoisseurship, and West Coast collections. The program featured lectures by Hugh M. Moss and Robert E. Fisher; guided study at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum; seminars on conservation techniques and collecting standards; and focused sessions for both new and advanced collectors. Private collection visits, regional cultural outings, and a formal banquet rounded out a convention grounded in both scholarship and practical engagement.
October 5 - 9, 1983
–
Four-Seasons Hotel
Hosted in Toronto for the first time and based at the Four Seasons Hotel, the fifteenth annual ICSBS convention marked a milestone expansion into Canada while highlighting major institutional collections and cross-cultural perspectives. The program featured lectures by Ladislas Kardos and Victor E. Graham, in-depth study at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library, and roundtable seminars on jade, ceramics, and lacquer. Museum tours, special displays, and a concluding banquet underscored the convention’s emphasis on close object study and international scholarship.
November 3-7, 1982
–
The Waldorf-Astoria
Returning to New York City and based at the Waldorf-Astoria, the fourteenth annual ICSBS convention explored Chinese snuff bottles through historical, social, and collecting lenses. The program included illustrated lectures by Emily Byrne Curtis, Annette Juliano, Fong Chow, and Gerd Lester; focused study at the Asia Society, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Newark Museum, and Montclair Art Museum; roundtable seminars on presentation bottles, agate, and European collections; and private apartment visits. The gathering concluded with a formal banquet featuring remarks by Hugh M. Moss.
November 4-8, 1981
–
Royal Hawaiian Hotel
Framed by Honolulu and headquartered at the Hawaiian Regent Hotel, the thirteenth annual ICSBS convention combined Pacific setting with wide-ranging scholarly exchange. The program featured lectures by Lawrence E. Gichner, Charles D. Weber, Ann Krueger, and Howard A. Link; a moderated “show and tell” session led by Hugh Moss; and focused study at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the Bishop Museum. Museum tours, collector-led presentations, and a formal banquet were complemented by an optional island excursion, rounding out a convention that balanced connoisseurship with cultural context.
October 8-12, 1980
–
The Royal Orleans
Under the backdrop of New Orleans at the Royal Orleans Hotel, the twelfth annual ICSBS convention paired rigorous scholarship with the city’s distinctive cultural setting. The program ranged from illustrated lectures by Victor T. Graham, Theresa M. Reilly, Emily Byrne Curtis, and Bob C. Stevens to focused study at the New Orleans Museum of Art, thematic roundtable seminars on lacquer, mineralogy, and inside painting, and private collection viewings in the Vieux Carré. A formal banquet and an optional River Road plantation tour rounded out the gathering.
October 17-21, 1979
–
Warwick Hotel
Held in Philadelphia at the Warwick Hotel, the eleventh annual ICSBS convention focused on museum-centered scholarship and broader art-historical context. Highlights included illustrated lectures by Schuyler Van R. Cammann, Victor T. Graham, Anthony J. duBoulay, and John White; in-depth study sessions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art; guided visits through Historic Philadelphia and Longwood Gardens; roundtable seminars addressing inside-painted bottles, porcelain, and mineralogy; and a formal banquet, with an optional post-convention tour extending institutional and collection access.
October 28-November 2, 1978
–
Mandarin Hotel
The Tenth Annual Convention of the Chinese Snuff Bottle Society of America in Hong Kong, headquartered at the Mandarin Hotel, marked the Society’s first major convention in Asia and emphasized direct engagement with Chinese institutions, artists, and scholars. The program featured illustrated lectures by Gerard Tsang, Emily Byrne Curtis, Arthur Gadsby, J. C. Y. Watt, and Hugh M. Moss; the opening of a special exhibition on Qing dynasty snuff bottles at the Hong Kong Museum of Art; visits to Chinese University galleries and regional sites; roundtable seminars on jade, ceramics, enamel, bamboo, and lacquer carving; cultural performances and a harbor cruise; and a formal banquet concluding the convention.
October 12-16, 1977
–
Olympic Hotel Seattle
Held in Seattle at the Olympic Hotel, the Society’s 1977 convention emphasized museum-based study and thematic breadth. The program featured illustrated lectures by William Jay Rathbun on porcelain snuff bottles, Hugh M. Moss on master snuff bottles, and Elisabeth Kardos on imperial influence; guided visits to the Seattle Art Museum and the Thomas Burke Memorial Museum; roundtable seminars addressing revolutionary, mineral, and erotic snuff bottles; and a formal banquet with an address by collector A. E. MacPherson.
October 13-17, 1976
–
Crown Center Missouri
The Eighth Annual Convention of the Chinese Snuff Bottle Society of America in Kansas City, headquartered at the Crown Center Hotel, emphasized Midwestern museum collections and thematic scholarship. The program featured illustrated lectures by Lindsay Hughes Cooper, Bob C. Stevens, and Laurence Sickman; guided visits to the Linda Hall Library and the William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art; structured seminars on symbolism, materials, photography, and connoisseurship; displays of members’ collections; and a formal banquet.