EACS-2016. Book of Abstracts

Section 7 21st Biennial Conference of the European Association for Chinese Studies 87 records to explore porcelain shops of the eighteenth-century China. By considering them as a dynamic place, this research attempts to interpret how the changes of porcelain shops related to the trade and what they can offer to help us have a better understanding of the circulation of porcelain. Vampelj Suhadolnik Natasa (University of Ljubljana) Castiglione`s Art in Hallerstein’s Letters Key words: Ferdinand Augustin Hallerstein, Giuseppe Castiglione, Jesuit missionaries, art, letters FerdinandAugustin Hallerstein (1703–1774) (Chinese name Liu Songling 劉松齡 ) was a Slovenian Jesuit who made an important contribution to the development of science and astronomy in 18th century China. He was an active member of the Qianlong (1711–1799) court and was appointed Head of the Imperial Board of Astronomy in 1747, a position he would maintain until his death nearly 30 years later. Throughout his four decades in China, he maintained a rich correspondence with family members, other Jesuits in Europe, and even with the Queen of Portugal, Maria Anna. He was also a corresponding member of the Royal Societies of London, Paris and St. Petersburg. His letters have only recently been collected and edited. The present paper will focus on Hallerstein`s letters and his references to Giuseppe Castiglione’s art. The paper will explore a) Hallerstein`s attitudes towards Castiglione and his art; b) Chinese court painting and Castiglione`s position at the court and c) it will conclude with some new evidence concerning Castiglione`s artistic achievements. van Noord Willemijn (University of Amsterdam) “One of the Greatest Antiquities that We Have Here fromThose Lands”: Interpreting Inscribed Han Dynasty Mirrors in Early Eighteenth-century Europe Key words: inscribed Han dynasty mirrors, European antiquarianism, logistics of translation, Siberian burials, circulation of objects and knowledge Interpretations of Chinese artifacts abroad are closely linked to contemporary perceptions of and contact with the East. At the turn of the eighteenth century, inscribed Western Han dynasty mirrors (1st century BCE — 1st century AD) were being excavated in Siberia, where they had ended up as burial gifts centuries earlier through exchange across the Eurasian steppe. Tsar Peter the Great (1672–1725) owned a few in his Kunstkamera and arranged for one to be sent to his friend Nicolaes Witsen (1641–1717) inAmsterdam, who was a prominent Dutch statesman. Close reading ofWitsen’s correspondence with fellow antiquarians around the world about this ancient bronze mirror has revealed interesting insights into European perceptions of China. The fact that the seal-script qingbai 清白 inscription was the oldest form of Chinese language they had ever laid eyes on led to an obsession with trying to obtain a translation. Witsen’s influential position as mayor of Amsterdam and governor of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) proved crucial to tackling this difficult task, for which he depended on Jesuit missionaries and Hokkien merchants. What followed was dedicated philological endeavour which involved 1) transcription the script; 2) phonetics of the spoken language; 3) interpretation of its meaning, resulting in one of the earliest known European translations of a Han dynasty inscription. Even though this translation is incorrect — reading as a monotheistic paean — it is invaluable for showing us the networks and interpretations at work and the logistics involved in the transla- tion process. In European hands, this Chinese tool for beautification was turned into an object of linguistic analysis involving seal-script, Old Chinese language, and the Hokkien dialect at a time when Europe was trying to fit China’s antiquity into its chronology through a Biblical frame of reference. Vinogradova Tatiana (Russian Academy of Sciences Library) He-He Two Saints: Twins, Doubles or Chinese Trinity? Key words: He-He erxian, Ac. V. Alekseev, origin, hieroglyphic rebus, popular prints