mhacorientalmodule-blog

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Madeleine Cater, Objects of Desire: Oriental Art and its Histories, Research Log, EDUC 2391, 2018/19

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As I prepare to submit my final podcast and this research log, I thought this last link would finish off the process nicely. 

Since my podcast ended with a consideration of the object as a collector’s item, I wondered how collectible they are today. 

In December 2018, Bonhams auctioneers held an auction entitled “FINE CHINESE SNUFF BOTTLES FROM WORLDWIDE COLLECTORS”. The highest lot sold for £28, 714! This was for a bottle which had the Imperial Stamp on the bottom, and thus meant it had been made in the Imperial Palace workshops in Beijing...definitely a collectible!

At the other end of the scale, the lowest priced lot sold for £401 for these two red snuff bottles.

While these prices show the scale of quality and demand for bottle collectors, I think it proves how popular these items are for a range of people, with different tastes and budgets. 

It also shows that it wasn’t just Hardinge’s era that liked to collect the bottles. They are still very much a modern collector’s item too! I shall definitely be on the hunt for one of my own, although I don’t think my budget stretches as far as Bonhams auction!

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Homi Bhabha Hybridity Notes

In my podcast I couldn’t discuss Bhabha’s hybridity in as much detail as I would have liked due to the time constraints. I thought I would put the notes here to consolidate my reasonings for calling the bottle a hybrid. 

Homi Bhabha - The Location of Culture (London: Routledge, 1994)

Argues that in Said’s Orientalism ‘There is always…the suggestion that colonial power and discourse is possessed entirely by the coloniser.’

He builds on the ways in which the colonised have resisted power from Western colonisers

Thus terms it hybridisation whereby new cultural forms are created from cultural interchange

Coins the Third Space of Ennuciation; a new position in which communication between colonised and coloniser is possible

‘This interstitial passage between fixed identifications opens up the possibility of a cultural hybridity that entertains difference without assumed or imposed hierarchy.’

‘The theoretical recognition of the split-space of enunciation may open the way to conceptualizing an international culture, based not on exoticism of multiculturalism or the diversity of cultures, but on the inscription and articulation of culture’s hybridity.’

I think the snuff bottle stands as an emblem of hybridity as the Chinese snuff bottle industry can be seen as a space where the coloniser (European Portuguese) and the colonised (South American Brazilians and Asian Chinese) come together to produce an object of art, of which its existence can only depend upon all three cultures merging. 

I was also interested to learn that Macau was a Portuguese colony from 1577, and was only returned to China in 1999. 

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30/04/19 - Reflection on the Podcast

My snuff bottle during filming!

I found making the podcast such a useful experience, and I learnt lots of new skills which I can hopefully utilise again soon!

The greatest problem during filming, and which I think shows in the podcast too, was my ability to keep my hands steady. I tried to balance my phone carefully, but the shots are still very shaky in part which is a shame! In future, I will either try to use a camera with a tripod, or get some sort of phone steadying equipment!

I used iMovie to make the podcast which I thought was really easy to use. I recorded my transcript all in one go which was helpful when putting the whole thing together, but it did make it more tricky to cut and pause the audio when I needed to. 

I chose not to have any background music as I thought that it could probe quite distracting and make understanding my points more difficult, especially when the visual images were in transition. 

I liked the way I have a visual focus on my bottle throughout, especially when it is compared to the snuff boxes and other bottles. I think it really shows off my bottle in particular and highlights the points I am making. I also think I used relevant images throughout which help to emphasise that points I am making. 

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30/04/19 - Reflection on Research Questions

Now that I have finished my podcast, it was interesting to look back at my initial research questions and reflect on what went into the final podcast. 

My research has narrowed down over time. 

In October there were many avenues for exploration after my initial discussion with Rachel Barclay:

Chinese symbolism

The use of amethyst as a material

History of the snuff trade

Changing associations and meanings of the snuff bottle

Form vs. function - when did this stop being a useful object and start becoming a piece of art?

Implications of the Cultural Revolution

Carving techniques

Then, in my research proposal I narrowed these down to the following: 

The history of the tobacco trade in China and ways that will have influenced the manufacture of snuff bottles

 Whether there is any Chinese symbolism associated with the artistic designs of my bottle (the purple colours, the use of amethyst, the dragon and the central character) and how that may be relevant to the snuff bottle as an object

The changing relationship between form and function of snuff bottles and the factors which established them as collectible items

In my podcast, I reduced this further to two ‘soundbites’ which summed up my research questions:

The Chinese symbolism of the bottle

Changing function from practical to art object

I think I have successfully managed to answer the questions in my research proposal. I start my podcast by considering the symbolism of my bottle because I wanted to make sure I focussed on my object. I also found it became quite natural to link my research about the tobacco trade in China to an understanding of the bottles’ changing form and function overtime.

In retrospect, I was pleased with the way my research questions come together. I think they were relevant and allowed me to focus on both Chinese art and the socio-political environment.  If I were to do my research again,I would have liked to find out how the Cultural Revolution would have affected snuff bottles. In my podcast I include that they were originally symbols of the elite, which suggests that during the Cultural Revolution many would have been destroyed or taken out of the country. Something to think about for another day!

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I really liked this article as it helped me to focus on the collecting aspect of the snuff bottle. It seems they are coming back into fashion!

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21/04/19 - Finished Transcript!

Here is a copy of my final transcript, as it appears in my podcast. It was a very different experience writing under a time constraint, rather than a word count, and something that will be very useful in future presentations! 

It was too long to begin with, so I cut out a lot of sentences which functioned as transitions between sections of the podcast. I didn’t want to lose valuable information that actually referred to the bottle!

It was also good to practise my diction and speed of speech as this is something I don’t have much academic practise in either. I think I’ve managed to record a good speed, which isn’t too slow but allows the listener to understand what I’m staying.

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Bibliography

Here is the bibliography of the main sources I used in my research. In some of my other posts I have also directly referenced some sources, but here is the full list. I definitely found the books available at the Oriental Museum and Leazes Road Library very useful, as it was more difficult to find credible online articles to do with snuff bottles. There are a lot of collectors who just like to give their opinions online without much evidence!

Bhabha, Homi K., The Location of Culture (London: Routledge, 1994)

Cammann, Schuyler, ‘Some Early Chinese Symbols of Duality’, History of Religions, 24/3 (February 1985), pp. 215-254)

Green, Judith, ‘ “A New Orientalism of Ideas”: Collecting and the Taste for Early Chinese Cereamics in England 1921-36’ in Collecting Chinese Art: Interpretation and Display, ed by Stacey Pierson, (London: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 2000)

International Snuff Bottle Society, ‘The History of Snuff Bottles and Snuff’, (2019) <https://snuffbottlesociety.org> [accessed 21 April 2019]

Kerr, Rose, ed., Chinese Art and Design (Surry: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981)

Kleiner, Robert, Chinese Snuff Bottles (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994)

Lawson, Philip and Laszlo Legeza,Tao: The Chinese Philosophy of Time and Change

Ledderose, Lothar, Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2000)

Moss, Hugh and Stuart Sargent, ‘The Marakovic Collection’, (2018), <http://www.e-yaji.com/Marakovic_images/Mar_nar/index.asp> [accessed 21 April 2019]

Olivova, Lucie, ‘Tobacco Smoking in Qing China’, Asia Major, 18/1 (2005), pp. 225-260.

Perry, Lilla S., Chinese Snuff Bottles: The Adventure & Studies of a Collector(Tokyo: C.E> Tuttle Co., 1968)

Rawson, Jessica, ed., The British Museum Book of Chinese Art (London: British Museum Press, 1992, repr. 1996)

Scott, Rosemary E., ‘The Chinese Imperial Collection’ in Collecting Chinese Art: Interpretation and Display, ed by Stacey Pierson, (London: Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, 2000)

Skiff, Carl, The Land of the Dragon: Snuff Arrives in the Orient (Pittsburgh, PA: Dorrance Publishing Co., 2014)

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Proof that trigrams can be used individually!

I have found more evidence to support my trigram idea for the central symbol in the book Tao: The Chinese Philosophy of Time and Change by Philip Lawson and Laszlo Legeza. 

When discussing the full trigram diagram which surround the yin/yang symbol they explain, “Together they are an image of the whole Tao. Individually, perhaps combined in significant ways, they appear on works of art made for particular rituals, celebrations or occasions’ (p. 16). 

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The whole field of antiquarianism and collecting in the Qing period was affected by the fact that the greatest and most energetic collectors, at least in the eighteenth century, were the emperors themselves.

Rose Kerr ed., Chinese Art and Design (Surry: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981), p. 238.

This book was really useful in understanding about the tradition of collecting Chinese objects and the popularity of art in China during the Qing dynasty. I later came across the above image, which depicts Emperor Kangxi in casual dress, practising calligraphy. I love this image as it proves how much these Emperors prioritised the arts and explains why such a variety of  beautiful, practical objects were made.

The online publication of Hugh Moss’ and Stuart Sargent’s analysis of The Marakovic Collection of snuff bottles was really helpful in further understanding about the Emperor’s patronage of the arts. The establishment of zaobanchu (imperial workshops) is explained in great detail here. (http://www.e-yaji.com/Marakovic_images/Mar_nar/index.asp)

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21/04/19 - Finalising my Podcast

I’ve really enjoyed the practical elements of making the podcast as it is not something I have ever done before!

Looking back through my log before starting, I noticed my two main points of interest:

The Chinese symbol

How function had dictated form

My storyboard shows that I initially thought I would start with the more general socio-political considerations before focussing on my bottle’s symbol. However,  once I began grappling with my transcript I realised there was a more natural flow when I began with a main focus on my bottle’s design, before ‘zooming out’ to see how it would fit into a broader consideration. 

I think this was an important change to make, as it meant I could keep a focus on my bottle from the beginning and throughout, and not just come to it at the end of the podcast!

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Finding out more about the central symbol

The final details of my research have shown that another explanation for the central symbol could be that it is a Chinese symbol for longevity. This would make sense to be put on a snuff bottle as the Chinese believed snuff had medicinal properties and so would help continue a long life. 

As I can’t find anything identical to the symbol on my bottle, the artists could have incorporated the trigram into the design of the longevity symbol. 

I will definitely include these findings in the section of my podcast about the symbolism of the bottle. 

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Grand Secretary Heshen, one of the most corrupt Chinese courtiers ever, held power under the Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dynasty. After his execution in 1799, it was said he had over 3,000 snuff bottles in his private collection! (Robert Kleiner, Chinese Snuff Bottles (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 8.

Something that has become clear to me through my research is that the snuff bottle as aesthetic object has been prevalent from its conception as a vessel to carry snuff. It really interests me to see what factors have caused the bottles to be like they are. 

In my podcast I want to include the change in function of the bottles alongside the factors that have caused it to be so:

Practical object - bottles used to preserve snuff from moisture

Practical object and aesthetic object - Emperors privilege craftsmanship and beautiful objects while advocating use of snuff

Aesthetic object - snuff largely replaced by cigarettes, roughly hollowed bottles made purely to sell to foreigners

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28/03/19 - Podcast Filming

After sketching a brief storyboard of the types of shots I wanted, I finally got to meet Gillian Ramsay, one of the curators at the Oriental Museum, and film my snuff bottle! 

I decided to film my bottle alongside 3 other bottles: a detailed red lacquer carved bottle, a simply designed jade bottle and one shaped like a frog (!) to be able so show the variety of bottles made for the consumption of snuff. I also asked to film two snuff boxes after the European tradition - to better able explain why the Chinese chose bottles over boxes. 

Gillian was also kind enough to do a voice recording of some questions I had emailed her prior to the filming. I asked about the reason that snuff bottles were such a collectible item, and a bit more about Charles Hardinge.

Now it’s time to finalise my transcript!

Oriental Museum Reference Numbers:

DUROM.1960.1848 - My snuff bottle

DUROM.1960. 3931 - Frog bottle

DUROM.1960.3118 - Red lacquer bottle

DUROM. 1960.2216 - Jade bottle

DUROM.1969.509.a-b - Two snuff boxes

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there was a phase aimed solely at foreign collectors, which prompted the manufacture of the well-known 'cabinet-bottle' type, with high flying relief and ofter rudimentary hollowing. They were for display, not use.

Hugh Moss and Stuart Sargent, The Marakovic Collection

This quote is really useful, and something that I will keep in mind when filming my object. How hollowed out is my snuff bottle? Was it in fact produced to be a ‘cabinet-bottle’ or did it genuinely and originally function as a snuff bottle? 

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Researching more about the trigrams and yielded some really interesting results which will be well worth including in my podcast. The trigram on my object refers to li which has many important connotations. I’m interested to see whether the dragon on the bottle related to the Zhulong dragon the trigram symbolises. It seems present day thought attributes li to ‘middle daughter’ and a lot of sources I have come across attest to it being associated with fire. 

I’m pleased to have made such a discovery considering I’ve been at a dead end for quiet a while about any symbolic significance of the bottle (aside from the dragon)! 

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The Bottle’s Central Symbol

One thing that has been puzzling me throughout my research is the symbolism of the central carved detail. A friend in their final year studying Chinese told me it wasn’t a character, and could instead denote an imperial symbol. Starting to research more closely, I came across an article by Schuyler Cammann which has helped!

The three lines in the middle of the carving could denote a traditional Chinese ‘trigram’ (as shown in the final picture). The trigrams, made up of broken and unbroken lines denote either yin or yang, the belief of fundamental duality central to Chinese thinking. Solid lines stood for yang (the male principle) while broken lines stood for yin (the female principle). Cammann suggests the trigrams, when displayed in their traditional circular arrangement, denote familial relationships. Confusingly, at different times my trigram has meant both ‘middle son’ and ‘middle daughter’.

While the original reasoning for the design of this bottle is ambiguous, with it possibly being made for the tourist trade, the central symbol may be completely meaningless. However, stumbling upon this article shines a light on a craftsman perhaps seeing these trigrams and wanting to incorporate them into their design to lend the bottle gravitas.

https://www-jstor-org.ezphost.dur.ac.uk/stable/pdf/1062255.pdf?ab_segments=0%252Ftbsub-1%252Frelevance_config_with_tbsub&refreqid=excelsior%3A0b9c887b5943626880266fac239d9daa