DOCSLIB.ORG

Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident 36 | 2013 Mobilité humaine et circulation des savoirs techniques (XVIIe-XIXe siècles) Human mobility and the circulation of technical knowledge (17th-19th centuries) Catherine Jami (dir.) Édition électronique URL : http://journals.openedition.org/extremeorient/296 DOI : 10.4000/extremeorient.296 ISSN : 2108-7105 Éditeur Presses universitaires de Vincennes Édition imprimée Date de publication : 31 décembre 2013 ISBN : 978-2-84292-404-1 ISSN : 0754-5010 Référence électronique Catherine Jami (dir.), Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 | 2013, « Mobilité humaine et circulation des savoirs techniques (XVIIe-XIXe siècles) » [En ligne], mis en ligne le 01 juin 2016, consulté le 16 octobre 2020. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/extremeorient/296 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/ extremeorient.296 Ce document a été généré automatiquement le 16 octobre 2020. © PUV 1 Les études rassemblées ici analysent le rôle de la mobilité humaine dans la dynamique spatiale des savoirs en Asie orientale entre le XVIIe et le XIXe siècles. Que ce soit à l’échelle de l’individu ou celle des groupes professionnels, l’étude de l’itinéraire de savants versés dans des domaines techniques, pris dans sa dimension géographique, apporte un éclairage nouveau sur la circulation des savoirs à l’intérieur de l’espace impérial chinois, à l’échelle régionale et à l’échelle mondiale. NOTE DE LA RÉDACTION Ce numéro 36/2013, paru en juin 2014, a été publié initialement comme le numéro 36/2014 Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 | 2013 2 SOMMAIRE Introduction Catherine Jami I. Itinéraires dans l’espace chinois La carrière de Mei Wending (1633-1721) et le statut des sciences mathématiques dans le savoir lettré Catherine Jami Les traductions de François-Xavier Dentrecolles (1664-1741), missionnaire en Chine : localisation et circulation des savoirs Huiyi Wu II. Relations diplomatiques et circulation des livres Journeys of the Modest Astronomers : Korean Astronomers’ Missions to Beijing in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries Jongtae Lim Commerce des livres et diplomatie : la transmission de Chine et de Corée vers le Japon des savoirs médicaux liés à la pratique de l’acuponcture et de la moxibustion (1603-1868) Mathias Vigouroux III. Industrialisation et innovation Shimomura Kôtarô (1863-1937) and the Circulation of Technical Knowledge between the United States, Japan, and Belgium Aleksandra Kobiljski IV. Regards extérieurs Revisiting Social Theory and History of Science in Early Modern South Asia and Colonial India Dhruv Raina La loupe et le miroir Christian Jacob Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 | 2013 3 Introduction Catherine Jami NOTE DE L'AUTEUR Ce numéro d’Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident a été préparé dans le cadre du projet « Itinéraires individuels et circulation des savoirs scientifiques et techniques en Chine moderne (XVIe-XXe siècles) » (ICCM ; voir http://www.sphere.univ-paris-diderot.fr/ spip.php?rubrique98), qui a reçu le soutien de l’Agence nationale de la recherche (contrat ANR-09-SSOC-004). Je tiens à remercier Florence Bretelle-Establet pour l’aide qu’elle m’a généreusement apportée dans le travail d’édition, et John Finlay pour sa relecture minutieuse des textes en anglais. 1 L’étude de l’histoire des sciences, des techniques et de la médecine en Asie orientale reste marquée par l’œuvre fondatrice de Joseph Needham (1900-1995) consacrée à la Chine2. Empruntant une métaphore à la chimie, Needham s’est proposé de travailler à un « titrage » des civilisations, autrement dit une évaluation des contributions de chacune d’entre elles au patrimoine des savoirs scientifiques et techniques de l’humanité3. Non seulement il a ainsi montré la richesse de l’histoire chinoise dans ce domaine, mais il a réfuté l’idée, dominante au milieu du XXe siècle, que la science ait jamais été une caractéristique ou un monopole de la seule Europe. Les conclusions de Needham sur ce dernier point sont aujourd’hui considérées comme un acquis sur la base duquel la recherche continue à avancer. Quant à l’évaluation de « la contribution chinoise » aux sciences, qui prend souvent la forme d’un inventaire de priorités dans la découverte, elle entre dans le cadre d’une historiographie « nationale », voire nationaliste. À cet égard il faut rappeler une évidence : c’est en Chine que travaillent la très grande majorité des historiens des sciences chinoises. Ces dernières années pourtant, le domaine a suivi l’évolution de l’histoire des sciences en général : visant à se situer en dehors de toute querelle de priorité et d’évaluation comparée des nations ou des civilisations, certains historiens ont choisi de concentrer leur attention sur la circulation des savoirs plutôt que sur les découvertes et les inventions. C’est l’un des choix qui président à l’élaboration du présent numéro d’Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident. Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 | 2013 4 2 Needham a utilisé une autre métaphore, empruntée cette fois à l’embryologie, raisonnant en termes de facteurs qui ont favorisé ou inhibé le développement des sciences en Chine4 ; il lui semblait en effet nécessaire d’expliquer pourquoi la science moderne ne s’était pas développée de manière endogène en Chine, alors que, selon lui, les connaissances scientifiques et techniques y avaient connu un essor sans parallèle pendant plus d’un millénaire. Cette dernière question a fait couler beaucoup d’encre, surtout en Chine même5 ; aujourd’hui on pourrait la considérer plus comme un « catalyseur » de l’œuvre de Needham – pour emprunter un autre terme à la chimie – que comme un problème auquel il existe une solution pouvant faire l’objet d’un consensus. Cependant, la manière dont la société et la culture chinoises ont, à divers moments de leur histoire, influencé la formation et la circulation des savoirs reste un objet d’étude pertinent. Needham avait notamment suggéré que la structure de la société chinoise, qu’il a caractérisée comme « bureaucratico-féodale », et l’idéologie confucéenne qui aurait dominé celle-ci auraient « favorisé dans un premier temps le développement de la connaissance de la nature », mais par la suite « empêché l’apparition du capitalisme et de la science moderne »6. Sans reprendre ni les termes ni le jugement négatif contenus dans cet énoncé, il reste pertinent de s’interroger sur le rôle qu’a joué la fonction publique dans l’histoire des savoirs scientifiques et techniques, sinon tout au long de la période impériale (221 AEC-1911 EC), du moins dans la forme sous laquelle cette fonction publique s’est constituée à partir de la dynastie Song (960-1279)7. Il est en effet aujourd’hui admis que c’est sous cette dynastie que la bureaucratie a acquis un rôle prépondérant dans l’État chinois. Cette restriction temporelle – qui nous laisse tout de même face à une période d’un millénaire – illustre le fait que l’on hésite aujourd’hui davantage qu’à l’époque de Needham à raisonner en des termes si généraux qu’ils amèneraient à traiter la période impériale chinoise comme un tout homogène. 3 Au cours des deux dernières décennies, l’échelle spatiale de l’analyse historique a elle aussi changé : les études « locales » se multiplient, et les comparaisons se font entre des entités plus petites que des continents ou des empires. Par exemple, lorsque Kenneth Pomeranz cherche à expliquer la « grande divergence » entre diverses parties de l’Eurasie que représente à ses yeux le développement industriel que connaît l’Europe du Nord-ouest au XIXe siècle, il compare notamment l’Angleterre et le bassin inférieur du Yangzi8. Son projet d’une histoire mondiale construite à partir d’entités régionales s’appuie sur un grand nombre de travaux d’histoire locale économique portant sur telle ou telle région de Chine. L’échelle locale, qui occupe une importance croissante pour les historiens, a été encore peu explorée par les historiens des sciences travaillant sur l’Asie orientale, en dehors de certaines études portant sur la médecine9. Pour les autres domaines, notamment celui des sciences mathématiques, les comparaisons entre diverses régions du monde s’appuient encore rarement sur une localisation géographique fine des sources. Pour la période ancienne, la langue dans laquelle sont écrites les sources issues de la tradition textuelle (chinois classique, sanskrit, arabe classique, grec ancien, latin…) est souvent prise comme caractérisation de leur provenance ; et dans bien des cas, c’est en effet le meilleur, voire le seul indice disponible en la matière10. Pour les quatre derniers siècles, en revanche, l’abondance des sources se rapportant à des localités particulières permet de situer de manière beaucoup plus précise la production et la circulation des savoirs. L’enjeu de cette localisation n’est pas seulement affaire de coordonnées cartographiques : la structuration de l’espace est politique, culturelle et sociale. Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident, 36 | 2013 5 4 Prenant acte de ces évolutions historiographiques, et s’inspirant de la réflexion sur la géographie des savoirs menée dans le premier volume des Lieux de savoir11, le projet « Itinéraires individuels et circulation des savoirs scientifiques et techniques en Chine moderne (XVIe-XXe siècles)12 » s’est donné pour objectif d’étudier le lien entre les parcours de divers acteurs et la circulation des savoirs. En effet, à partir d’une réflexion sur le rôle de la bureaucratie dans la circulation des savoirs techniques s’est imposé le constat d’une mobilité spécifique des élites, liée au système de recrutement et de nomination des fonctionnaires impériaux : ceux-ci se rendaient d’abord au chef-lieu de leur district natal, puis à la capitale de leur province, et enfin à Pékin pour les examens successifs ; il étaient ensuite nommés à des postes dans d’autres provinces que celle dont ils étaient originaires, et changeaient en principe d’affectation tous les trois ans. Le rôle de ces fonctionnaires dans la diffusion de certaines connaissances, notamment dans le domaine de l’agriculture, est bien connu13.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Textiles of the Han Dynasty & Their Relationship with Society
    The Textiles of the Han Dynasty & Their Relationship with Society Heather Langford Theses submitted for the degree of Master of Arts Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Centre of Asian Studies University of Adelaide May 2009 ii Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the research requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Centre of Asian Studies School of Humanities and Social Sciences Adelaide University 2009 iii Table of Contents 1. Introduction.........................................................................................1 1.1. Literature Review..............................................................................13 1.2. Chapter summary ..............................................................................17 1.3. Conclusion ........................................................................................19 2. Background .......................................................................................20 2.1. Pre Han History.................................................................................20 2.2. Qin Dynasty ......................................................................................24 2.3. The Han Dynasty...............................................................................25 2.3.1. Trade with the West............................................................................. 30 2.4. Conclusion ........................................................................................32 3. Textiles and Technology....................................................................33
    [Show full text]
  • The Discovery of Chinese Logic Modern Chinese Philosophy
    The Discovery of Chinese Logic Modern Chinese Philosophy Edited by John Makeham, Australian National University VOLUME 1 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.nl/mcp. The Discovery of Chinese Logic By Joachim Kurtz LEIDEN • BOSTON 2011 This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Kurtz, Joachim. The discovery of Chinese logic / by Joachim Kurtz. p. cm. — (Modern Chinese philosophy, ISSN 1875-9386 ; v. 1) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-17338-5 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Logic—China—History. I. Title. II. Series. BC39.5.C47K87 2011 160.951—dc23 2011018902 ISSN 1875-9386 ISBN 978 90 04 17338 5 Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Global Oriental, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. CONTENTS List of Illustrations ...................................................................... vii List of Tables .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Dengfeng Observatory, China
    90 ICOMOS–IAU Thematic Study on Astronomical Heritage Archaeological/historical/heritage research: The Taosi site was first discovered in the 1950s. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, archaeologists excavated nine chiefly tombs with rich grave goods, together with large numbers of common burials and dwelling foundations. Archaeologists first discovered the walled towns of the Early and Middle Periods in 1999. The remains of the observatory were first discovered in 2003 and totally uncovered in 2004. Archaeoastronomical surveys were undertaken in 2005. This work has been published in a variety of Chinese journals. Chinese archaeoastronomers and archaeologists are currently conducting further collaborative research at Taosi Observatory, sponsored jointly by the Committee of Natural Science of China and the Academy of Science of China. The project, which is due to finish in 2011, has purchased the right to occupy the main field of the observatory site for two years. Main threats or potential threats to the sites: The most critical potential threat to the observatory site itself is from the burials of native villagers, which are placed randomly. The skyline formed by Taer Hill, which is a crucial part of the visual landscape since it contains the sunrise points, is potentially threatened by mining, which could cause the collapse of parts of the top of the hill. The government of Xiangfen County is currently trying to shut down some of the mines, but it is unclear whether a ban on mining could be policed effectively in the longer term. Management, interpretation and outreach: The county government is trying to purchase the land from the local farmers in order to carry out a conservation project as soon as possible.
    [Show full text]
  • Guo Shoujing (Chine, 1989)
    T OPTICIENS CÉLÈBRES OPTICIENS CÉLÈBRES Principales dates PORTRAI 1231 – Naissance à Xingtai (actuelle province de Hebei, Chine) 1280 Etablit le Calendrier Shoushi 1286 Nommé Directeur du Bureau de l’astronomie et du calendrier 1290 Rénove et aménage le Gand Canal de Dadu 1292 Nommé Gouverneur du Bureau des travaux hydrauliques 1316 – Décès à Dadu (actuelle Pékin, Chine) Pièce de 5 Yuans à l’efgie de Guo Shoujing (Chine, 1989). Guo Shoujing (ou Kuo Shou-ching) Riad Haidar, [email protected] Grand astronome, ingénieur hydraulique astucieux et mathématicien inspiré, contemporain de Marco Polo à la cour de Kubilai Khan sous la dynastie Yuan, Guo Shoujing est une des grandes gures des sciences chinoises. Surnommé le Tycho Brahe de la Chine, on lui doit plusieurs instruments d’astronomie (dont le perfectionnement du gnomon1 antique) et surtout d’avoir établi le fameux calendrier Shoushi, si précis qu’il servit de référence pendant près de quatre siècles en Asie et que de nombreux historiens le considèrent comme le précurseur du calendrier Grégorien. uo Shoujing naît en 1231 dans une famille modeste de C’est à cette époque que Kubilai, petit-ls du grand conquérant la ville de Xingtai, dans l’actuelle province de Hebei à mongol Genghis Khan, entreprend son ascension du pouvoir su- G l’Est de la Chine (hebei signie littéralement au nord du prême chinois. Il est nommé Grand Khan le 5 mai 1260 et, en euve Jaune). Son grand-père paternel Yong est un érudit, fameux souverain éclairé, commence à organiser l’empire en appliquant à travers la Chine pour sa maîtrise parfaite des Cinq Classiques les méthodes qui ont fait leur preuve lors de ses précédentes ad- qui forment le socle culturel commun depuis Confucius, ainsi que ministrations et qui lui permettront de bâtir un des empires les plus pour sa connaissance des mathématiques et de l’hydraulique.
    [Show full text]
  • Eclipses and the Victory of European Astronomy in China
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by East Asian Science, Technology, and Medicine (EASTM - Universität Tübingen) EASTM 27 (2007): 127-145 Eclipses and the Victory of European Astronomy in China Lü Lingfeng [Lü Lingfeng is associate professor at Department of History of Science and Archaeometry, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He re- ceived his Ph.D. from USTC in 2002. He was Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg from December 2004 to November 2006.] * * * In the late Ming dynasty, European astronomy was introduced into China by the Jesuits. After a long period of competition with traditional Chinese astronomy, it finally came to dominate imperial astronomy in the early Qing dynasty. Accord- ing to historical documents, the most important factor in the success of European astronomy in China was its exactitude in the calculation of celestial phenomena, especially solar and lunar eclipses, which not only played a very special role in traditional Chinese political astrology but belonged among the most important celestial events for judging the precision of a system of calendrical astronomy. 1 This was true in ancient China from the Eastern Han (25-220) period all the way up to the late Ming period (1368-1644). During the calendar-debate between European, Islamic and Chinese astronomy in the Chongzhen reign period (1628- 1644), Xu Guangqi 徐 光 啟 (1562-1633) 2 also pointed out: “The erroneousness and exactness of a calendrical system can obviously only be seen from eclipses, while other phenomena are all too shady and dull to serve as indication.” 3 Re- cently, Shi Yunli and I have made a systematic analysis of the degree of precision of both the calculation and the observation of luni-solar eclipses in the late Ming 1 The astronomer Liu Hong 劉 洪 of the Eastern Han dynasty pointed out that eclipse prediction was an important way to check the accuracy of a calendar.
    [Show full text]
  • Proceedings 2014
    Proceedings 2014 Selected Papers from the Eighteenth College-Wide Conference for Students in Languages, Linguistics & Literature University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa edited by Priscila Leal & Gordon West published by 2015 College of Languages, Linguistics & Literature, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Some rights reserved. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Past proceedings in this series are archived in http://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/handle/10125/9195 ! ! ! ! CONTENTS PREFACE iii PLENARY HIGHLIGHTS v I. LITERATURE LĀHUI AND FAMILY IN THE NATION-BUILDING PROJECTS OF WRITTEN IN 3 THE SKY AND LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE Kelsey Amos, Department of English OKAMOTO KANOKO AND EXEMPLARY MOTHERHOOD: CONTEMPORARY 8 READINGS OF BOSHI JOJŌ Francesca Balquin Pizarro, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures WHAT A LITERARY COLLAGE TELLS US: HEMINGWAY’S IN OUR TIME AND 15 “THE SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO” Madoka Nagado, Department of English DESIRE IN THE LOVE STORIES OF SANYAN 19 Di Sun, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures THE VOICE OF RESISTANCE: THE STRUGGLE AGAINST 26 TRANSCULTURATION IN THE POEMS OF CARLO FRATICELLI, JAMAICA OSORIO, AND ITTAI WONG Ryan Swanson, Department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas II. LANGUAGE THE AFFECTIVE EFFECTS OF COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS AFTER 36 EXTENSIVE READING Hyunjung An, Department of Second Language Studies PROPOSAL FOR THE TRANSCRIPTION OF CETACEAN COMMUNICATION 45 Brenda Clark, Department of Linguistics DIFFERENCES IN CO-CONSTRUCTION IN JAPANESE BETWEEN
    [Show full text]
  • The Peculiar Velocities in the Galactic Outer Disk--Hints of the Elliptical Disk
    Draft version July 14, 2021 Preprint typeset using LATEX style emulateapj v. 5/2/11 THE PECULIAR VELOCITIES IN THE GALACTIC OUTER DISK|HINTS OF THE ELLIPTICAL DISK AND THE PERTURBATION OF THE SPIRAL STRUCTURES Hai-Jun Tian1,2, Chao Liu3, Jun-Chen Wan3, Li-Cai Deng3, Zi-Huang Cao3, Yong-Hui Hou4, Yue-Fei Wang4, Yue Wu3, Yong Zhang4, Yong-Heng Zhao3 Draft version July 14, 2021 ABSTRACT We present the peculiar in-plane velocities derived from the LAMOST red clump stars. From the variations of the in-plane velocity with the Galactocentric radius for the young and old red clump stars, we are able to identify two types of peculiar velocities: 1) both the two red clump populations show that the radial velocity is negative within R = 9:0 kpc and becomes positive beyond (denoted as the long-wave mode); and 2) the young red clump stars show larger mean radial velocity than the old population by about 3 kms−1 between R = 9 and 12 kpc (denoted as the short-wave mode). We find that the elliptical disk induced by the rotating bar can well explain the long-wave mode peculiar velocity. The axis ratio of the elliptical disk is around 0.8-0.95 and the disk keeps circular at R = 9:24 0:2 kpc, which should be the location of the outer Lindblad resonance radius (OLR). Adopting the± circular speed of 238 kms−1, the pattern speed of the bar is then derived as 48 3 kms−1kpc−1 from the location of OLR.
    [Show full text]
  • Grand Ca Life | Grand Canal
    16 CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | 17 LIFE | GRAND CANAL Masterminds of milestones Flowing prosperity CULTURAL CONNOTATIONS More than 400 items found Sui Dynasty (581-618) Emperor Yang ordered a BEIJING along the Grand Canal have In 486 BC, Han Gou, in massive canal project from AD 605 to 610 centered been inscribed on the list of today’s Jiangsu province, on Luoyang, in today’s Henan province, as the national-level intangible was constructed following “eastern capital” of his united empire. The 2,400-km cultural heritage, including folk orders by Fuchai, a king of canal links Zhuojun, near today’s Beijing, and TIANJIN arts, handicrafts and local the Wu State during the Hangzhou, which is now Zhejiang’s provincial capital. beliefs. Tianjin’s Yangliuqing Spring and Autumn Period Although the canal was originally built to consolidate Lunar New Year woodcut (770-476 BC), to connect the his control over the northeast and southeast of his paintings are a representative Yangtze and Huaihe rivers. territory, the project’s expense undermined the ruler, example. Ming Dynasty Subsequent monarchs who indulged in luxury and accelerated the dynasty’s (1368-1644) artisans created continued digging canals to fall. Nevertheless, his canal remained pivotal to this renowned art form using make full use of waterways, transportation during the Tang (618-907) and fine paper and dyes shipped advance transportation and Northern Song (960-1127) dynasties. from the south. enhance national stability. The canal in eastern Zhejiang, which was first SUPERVISING constructed in AD 300, was expanded during SHIPMENTS the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279).
    [Show full text]
  • Catholic Missionaries on China's Qinling Shu Roads
    Catholic Missionaries on China’s Qinling Shu Roads: Including an account of the Hanzhong Mission at Guluba David L B Jupp URL: http://qinshuroads.org/ September 2012. Addenda & Corrigenda: November 2013, April 2015, July 2016 & January 2018. Minor edits January 2020. Abstract: The background to this document is found in the history of China’s Shu Roads that passed through the Qinling and Ba Mountains for many years. The roads have linked the northern and southern parts of western China since the earliest records and probably before. In all that time, the common description of the Shu roads was that they were “hard”. In the Yuan, Ming and Qing periods when China was open and accessible, foreign travellers visited the Shu Roads and some left accounts of their travels. Among the early travellers were Catholic Missionaries who moved into the west of China to spread Christianity. This document first outlines the historical environment of the open periods and then identifies various events and Catholic Priests who seem to have travelled the Shu Roads or have left descriptions that are of interest today. The main focus of this document is on the recorded experiences of Missionaries mostly from the Jesuit, Franciscan and Vincentian orders of the Catholic Church of Rome who travelled to the Hanzhong Basin. The main items include: Marco Polo’s (circa 1290) account of travels in China which many Priests who arrived later had read to find out about China; Jesuit Fr. Étienne Faber’s travels to Hanzhong in 1635; Jesuit Fr. Martino Martini’s description of Plank Roads in his Atlas of China in 1655; Franciscan Fr.
    [Show full text]
  • Aspects of Siamese-French Relations During the Seventeenth Century
    ASPECTS OF SIAMESE-FRENCH RELATIONS DURING THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY DIRK VANDER CRUYSSE PROFESSOR, CHAIR IN FRENCH LITERATURE AND CULTURAL HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF ANTWERP First of, all I would like to express my delight at being unique, since the Dutch descriptions of the kingdom of Siam invited to address the members of the Siam Society, even if only started in the 1620s. The precision of his observations is English is only my third language. Preparing my Louis XIV striking. The ceremonies at the Royal Palace, the temples and et le Siam, I came across many articles and publications bearing the huge Buddha images that they house, the exotic market the mark of your distinguished Society. They were most places, the crocodiles in the klongs, the unbearable cruelty of helpful in my research on specific aspects of Siamese-European the executions, the kathin nam and kathin phak processions, the relations during the 17th Century. The cultural and scientific elephant hunting parties, the tiger battles, the incredible luxury interests of Thailand have been well served abroad by your surrounding the royal elephants (who slept on silk cushions Society's publishing efforts. and defecated in solid gold vessels), the stately funeral and Before discussing some aspects of the relations between cremation of the elephant on which Phra Naresuan had won the kingdoms of Siam and France during the reigns of Somdet the battle of Nong Sarai, everything is reported, pictured and Phra Narai and Louis XIV, who share the epithet "the Great," measured with an eye for characteristic detail. I would like to summarize a few general ideas that support The Flemish adventurer spent his old age in Spain, my book.
    [Show full text]
  • Uva-DARE (Digital Academic Repository)
    UvA-DARE (Digital Academic Repository) The Global Trajectory of Nicolaas Witsen’s Chinese Mirror van Noord, W.; Weststeijn, T. Publication date 2015 Document Version Final published version Published in The Rijksmuseum Bulletin Link to publication Citation for published version (APA): van Noord, W., & Weststeijn, T. (2015). The Global Trajectory of Nicolaas Witsen’s Chinese Mirror. The Rijksmuseum Bulletin, 63(4), 325-361. General rights It is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulations If you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: https://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. UvA-DARE is a service provided by the library of the University of Amsterdam (https://dare.uva.nl) Download date:07 Oct 2021 the rijksmuseum bulletin 324 the rijks the global trajectory of nicolaasmuseum witsen’s chinese mirror bulletin The Global Trajectory of Nicolaas Witsen’s Chinese Mirror * • willemijn van noord and thijs weststeijn • ‘ can scarcely express to you how I greatly it pains me to have been the cause of such a priceless piece, a remnant of Chinese antiquity, meeting such an ill fate.’1 There it lay, shattered into a dozen shards: the most prized work in Nicolaas Witsen’s (1641-1717) collection of Asian objects (fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Teachers' Guide for Painting
    Painting TO THE TEACHER OBJECTIVES OF THIS UNIT: To introduce students to one of the major Chinese arts. To raise questions about what we can infer from paintings about social and material life. To introduce the distinction between court and scholar painting and allow discussion of the emergence of landscape as a major art form. TEACHING STRATEGIES: This unit can be taught as a general introduction to Chinese painting or the two main subsections can be taught independently, depending on whether the teacher is more interested in using painting to teach about other things or wants to discuss painting itself as an art. WHEN TO TEACH: In a chronologically-organized course, Painting should not be used before the Song period, as most of the examples in this unit are from the Song and Yuan dynasties. If both Calligraphy and Painting are used, Calligraphy should precede Painting, as it provides valuable information on social and aesthetic values which informed the study, evaluation, and collecting of both types of works of art. This unit would also be appropriate in a course on Chinese art. http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/painting/tptgintr.htm (1 of 3) [11/26/2001 10:59:00 AM] Painting We know from textual and archaeological sources that painting was practiced in China from very early times and in a variety of media. Wall paintings were produced in great numbers in the early period of China's history, but because so little early architecture in China remained intact over the centuries, few of these large-scale paintings have survived.
    [Show full text]