Reframing Orientalism: Reinterpretation of Asian Ceramic Heritage Displays and Visual Culture in Contemporary Western Museums

Abstract

This conceptual paper investigates how leading Western museums—including the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago—reinterpret and display Asian ceramic heritage in the context of postcolonial critique. Framed by Edward Said’s Orientalism, visual culture theory, and postcolonial museology, the study examines the visual and narrative strategies employed by these institutions to construct meanings around Asian ceramic objects. It identifies three key constructs—museum display strategy, Orientalist narrative legacy, and postcolonial curatorial approach—as independent variables influencing how Asian ceramic visual culture is reframed in contemporary exhibitions. A conceptual framework is developed to critically analyze the visual politics of these displays and their implications for heritage interpretation, decolonial practice, and cultural representation. By drawing on illustrative mini-case analyses, the paper demonstrates how curatorial choices can either reinforce or resist historical power imbalances embedded in museological traditions. The study contributes to the advancement of theoretical discourse in critical heritage studies and offers actionable insights for curators seeking to challenge inherited colonial display paradigms.