Forbes Colloquium: A Codex in Late Antiquity

The 2025 Forbes Colloquium will mark the launch of a major new research initiative focused on the Washington Gospels Codex—also known as the Freer Codex or Codex Washingtonianus. As one of the earliest surviving parchment codices of the Gospels and a significant object of the National Museum of Asian Art’s collections, this manuscript offers a unique opportunity for renewed scholarly and scientific inquiry.

This colloquium will introduce the project’s scope and goals, highlighting the collaborative efforts of an international, multidisciplinary team. Speakers will discuss the codex’s significance and outline ongoing and upcoming scientific and conservation research that will guide future studies. A reception will follow in the museum courtyard

The colloquium, organized by the National Museum of Asian Art’s Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, will be held in the Meyer Auditorium on September 24, 2025.

A reception will follow in the museum courtyard.

Speakers:

• Chase Robinson, Dame Jillian Sackler Director, National Museum of Asian Art
• Jiří Vnouček, Visiting Senior Researcher, Royal Library Denmark
• Rhea DeStefano and Kesha Talbert, Paper Conservators, National Museum of Asian Art

RSVP by Wednesday, September 17.

The symposium is free; registration is required due to limited space.

This colloquium is supported by the Edward W. Forbes Fund, established through a bequest by John Thacher in honor of his colleague Edward Waldo Forbes, former director of the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University and a pioneer in the technical examination of art.

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