The Oriental Ceramic Society

Name

The Oriental Ceramic Society

Legal name

The Oriental Ceramic Society

Website

https://orientalceramicsociety.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Oriental Ceramic Society is a UK-registered charity and global learned society, founded in 1921, that serves collectors, scholars, and curators of Asian art through lectures, handling sessions, tours, exhibitions, and the Transactions scholarly journal. It is supported by membership subscriptions and corporate sponsorships from major auction houses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art and Cultural Society Membership

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (71211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAJADAJ

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions

Travel & Hospitality/Tours, Attractions & Experiences/Museums, Galleries & Cultural Institutions

SECONDARYBPAGAHAI

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAAAGAO

Arts & Culture Appreciation (Art History, Film Appreciation, Music Appreciation)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Personal Enrichment & Hobby Learning (Arts, Crafts, Music, Cooking)

SECONDARYEDAIAGAH

Cultural Heritage, Arts & Archaeology Service Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Service Learning, Volunteering & Gap Year Programs

Keywords

• Asian art scholarship
• Ceramics lectures
• Learned society membership
• Art handling sessions
• Scholarly publications

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual members (UK Member, Overseas Member, Student, Institutional, Corporate, Life, Patron tiers) providing access to lectures, handling sessions, publications, and the members-only website content.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Support from corporate lecture sponsors including Bonhams, Christie's, Sotheby's, Dreweatts, Duke's, Lyon & Turnbull, and Woolley & Wallis who sponsor the annual lecture programme.
3. Donations and Legacies: The society receives donations and bequests from members and supporters. Special thanks is given to the late Sir Joseph Hotung who established a fund to support specific OCS projects.
4. Publications Sales: Sales of the scholarly journal Transactions, centenary exhibition catalogues, past exhibition catalogues, and members' books offers through the online shop.
5. Event Tickets: Revenue from paid events including tours, visits, and handling sessions. Some events are free for members while others have nominal fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Oriental Ceramic Society is a non-profit learned society that delivers a membership-based programme of lectures, handling sessions, tours, exhibitions, and scholarly publications (most notably the Transactions journal) focused on the study and appreciation of Asian art, particularly ceramics. Members gain access to regular scholarly lectures at the Society of Antiquaries in London, hands-on handling sessions with objects from museums, auction houses, and private collections, and overseas study tours, while the Society is funded through annual subscriptions, corporate sponsorships, donations, and publication sales.

Product overview

The Oriental Ceramic Society is a membership-based non-profit organization offering a unified portfolio of programs and services for the study and appreciation of Asian art with a focus on ceramics. Core offerings include Membership Program providing access to Lectures & Events, Handling Sessions, and Tours & Visits. The Society publishes the Transactions Journal (scholarly publication since 1923) and Newsletter for members. Additional offerings include Exhibitions featuring objects from members and international museums, an Online Shop for publications, and awards including the R.C. Hills Gold Medal and George de Menasce Memorial Trust Bursary. The Society also runs the OCS-SICS Study Exchange Programme in partnership with the Society of International Ceramic Studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Tiered membership programme offering annual UK, Overseas, Student, Institutional, Corporate, Life, and Patron subscriptions that provide access to lectures, handling sessions, tours, visits, overseas tours, and member publications including the Transactions journal and newsletters.
• Lectures & Events Regular lecture programme on all aspects of Asian art, particularly Chinese and Japanese ceramics, jades, paintings, and Middle Eastern art, held in London at the Society of Antiquaries, Burlington House, featuring distinguished speakers and evening networking.
• Transactions Journal The Society's scholarly journal published annually since 1923, containing research articles and lecture transcripts on Asian art and ceramics, distributed to members and available for purchase.
• Newsletter Regular newsletter publications (approximately 3–4 per year) keeping members informed about Society activities, events, and news.
• Handling Sessions Hands-on sessions where members can handle and examine objects from museums, auction houses, and private collections, providing practical learning experiences of Asian ceramics and art.
• Tours & Visits Organised visits to public and private collections both in the United Kingdom and overseas, including international tours to inspect kiln sites and museum collections.
• Exhibitions Important exhibitions of Asian art promoting understanding and appreciation of the field, featuring exhibits from members' collections and major international museums.
• Centenary Exhibition Catalogue Publication titled 'Collectors, Curators, Connoisseurs: A Century of The Oriental Ceramic Society', co-edited by Sarah Wong and Stacey Pierson, documenting the 2021 centenary exhibition of 128 objects from members and international museums.
• Online Shop E-commerce platform for purchasing past exhibition catalogues, Transactions volumes, and making donations to the Society.
• R.C. Hills Gold Medal Award The most prestigious award given by the OCS, awarded once every several years to a distinguished scholar who has made a lifelong impact on the field of Asian art; the recipient delivers a lecture published in Transactions.
• George de Menasce Memorial Trust Bursary Awarded every five years through the Trust Fund to support important research in Asian art; the recipient gives a lecture to the Society published in Transactions.
• OCS-SICS Study Exchange Programme Joint study exchange programme with the Society of International Ceramic Studies (SICS) supporting young scholars and professionals working in Chinese art, providing a £3,000 stipend plus accommodation and research access in Jingdezhen (2025) and London (2026).
• Corporate Lectures Annual lecture programme including the Sonia Lightfoot lecture (Chinese and East Asian painting), Woolf Charitable Trust lecture (jade), Dr. Mok Hing Yiu Charitable Foundation lecture (export art), and Sir Michael Butler Memorial lecture (ceramic history).

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ years of continuous operation and publication since 1921
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BonhamscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor. Bonhams supports the OCS annual lecture programme, providing financial sponsorship in exchange for brand visibility and access to the society's network of collectors and scholars in the Asian art field.
• Christie'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor. Christie's sponsors OCS lectures and collaborates on events such as Asian Art in London, providing speakers and venues for joint lectures.
• Sotheby'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor. Sotheby's supports OCS lectures and employs OCS members in their Chinese Works of Art departments, maintaining close ties with the society.
• DreweattsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor supporting the OCS annual lecture programme with financial sponsorship.
• Duke'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor supporting the OCS annual lecture programme with financial sponsorship.
• Lyon & TurnbullminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor supporting the OCS annual lecture programme with financial sponsorship.
• Woolley & WallisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate lecture sponsor supporting the OCS annual lecture programme with financial sponsorship.
• Society of International Ceramic Studies (SICS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint study exchange programme launched in 2025. SICS is an academic, non-profit society with its secretariat at the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in China. The programme supports young scholars with £3000 stipends, accommodation, and research access in Jingdezhen (2025) and London (2026).
• Sir Percival David Foundation of Chinese ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual lecture partnership. The Sir Percival David Foundation holds its annual lecture in association with OCS, with speakers from major institutions such as the National Museum of Asian Art, Washington DC.
• Society of Antiquaries at Burlington HousecoreOthersThe Society of Antiquaries at Burlington House in Piccadilly, London serves as the venue for OCS lectures and events. This historic venue provides the setting for regular member meetings and scholarly presentations.
• Victoria and Albert MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner for major exhibitions including the 1971 Silver Jubilee exhibition 'The Ceramic Art of China'. The V&A holds OCS archives and collaborated on centenary exhibition loans.
• British MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on handling sessions and loans objects for OCS exhibitions. Hosts OCS members for exclusive handling sessions of objects from their collection, including pieces from the famous 1935 International Exhibition of Chinese Art.
• Sir Michael Butler CollectioncoreOthersThe Butler Collection of 17th Century Chinese Porcelain hosts OCS member visits. Sir Michael Butler was a distinguished OCS member and collector. The collection, now managed by his daughter Katharine Butler, provides exclusive access for OCS members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Asia House: A London-based centre for business and cultural engagement with Asia, hosting lectures, exhibitions, and networking for Asian art and culture professionals. Directly comparable as a London hub for Asian cultural programming and membership-based programming.
• The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland: A London-based learned society (est. 1823) that promotes scholarly enquiry into the history, languages, cultures, and religions of Asia. Comparable to OCS as a UK membership society serving Asian studies scholars and enthusiasts.
• The Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art: A UK-based foundation dedicated to the study and display of Chinese art, particularly Song dynasty ceramics held at the British Museum. Annual lecture partner of OCS and a directly comparable Chinese-art-focused learned organization.
• Society of International Ceramic Studies (SICS): A non-profit academic society focused on ceramic studies with secretariat at Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum in China. OCS's 2025 joint study exchange partner, it pursues an almost identical mission of advancing ceramic scholarship through international collaboration.
• The Japan Society London: A London-based charity that promotes understanding of Japanese culture in the UK through lectures, events, and cultural programmes. Comparable as a UK-rooted learned society for a specific Asian cultural domain with similar membership-driven event programming.

Regional players

• The China Institute (USA): A New York-based non-profit dedicated to deepening understanding of Chinese culture through lectures, classes, and cultural programming. Directly comparable mission but serves the US rather than UK/European membership base.

Broad incumbents

• British Museum: A major London museum holding one of the world's premier collections of Asian art and ceramics. Hosts OCS handling sessions and loans objects for exhibitions, functioning as an enabling institutional partner rather than direct competitor.
• Sotheby's Institute of Art: The education arm of Sotheby's offering degree programmes and short courses on art history, Asian art, and the art market. Broader incumbent in Asian art education with deeper commercial infrastructure than OCS.
• The Asia Society: A major US-based non-profit organization with a global network of centres focused on Asian art, culture, and policy. Much larger scale than OCS but pursues overlapping mission of advancing Asian art appreciation and scholarship.

Others

• SOAS University of London: A London university specializing in the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Hosted the OCS centenary exhibition at its Brunei Gallery in 2021 and functions as a venue and academic partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ocslondon
• Instagraminstagram.com/theorientalceramicsociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-oriental-ceramic-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Oriental Ceramic Society