James Marshall Plumer Collection

Manuscripts, translations, correspondence, notes, maps, drawings, and black and white photographic prints and negatives related to James Marshall Plumer's work with Chinese ceramics, primarily concerning the location and excavation of a Yue ware kiln site.

Yüeh (sometimes Yueh) was the common romanization at the time of creation and is used extensively in this finding aid to reflect its usage in the original materials. Yue is preferred now. All other obsolete romanizations reflect usage in the original materials.

James Marshall Plumer (1899-1960) , scholar of Asian art. After receiving his B.A. from Harvard, Plumer served as an administrative officer with the Chinese Government Service in Maritime Customs. From 1935 until his death, he taught art history at the University of Michigan while continuing to visit and work in China and Japan. In 1935 and 1937, Plumer discovered ancient kiln sites in the Chinese provinces of Fukien (Fujian) and Chekiang (Zhejiang). He wrote extensively on Chinese ceramics and edited the 'Far Eastern Ceramic Bulletin' from 1950 to 1958.

Plumer, James Marshall

China

Ceramics -- China

Ceramics -- Japan

Kilns -- China -- Fujian

Kilns -- China -- Zhejiang

James Marshall Plumer Collection

Gift of Caroline I. Plumer, 1961.

Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Correspondence

Printed material

Drawings

Maps

James Marshall Plumer Collection, FSA.A.14. National Museum of Asian Art Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Gift of Caroline I. Plumer.

Organized into two series:
Series 1: Yüeh File
Series 2: Photographs

Permission to reproduce and publish an item from the Archives is coordinated through the National Museum of Asian Art's Rights and Reproductions department. Please contact the Archives in order to initiate this process.

Photographs

Correspondence

Printed material

Drawings

Maps

Collection is open for research.

James M. Plumer papers, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan