Connecting Museum Artifacts to History - Essay Example

Connecting Museum Artifacts to History There were many beautiful artifacts in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I was especially interested in those ofChinese and Indian origin, because they have such ancient connections and made a strong impact on western history. In the Asian section are many examples of beautiful pottery and porcelain, which was so highly prized in the west that it was imitated as closely as possible. From India com paintings and carvings with either military motifs designed to enhance the ruler’s power or with religious design. The first thing that struck my eye in the Asian section was a beautiful Dragon Jar, which originated in Korea during the Choson Dynasty between 1392 and 1910. The blue dragon is pictured moving in up and down waves like a fancy kite dragon I once saw flying in the air. It is a good luck sign in most Asian countries and is a very happy creature as compared with western dragons. It is in the classic ginger Jar shape. This kind of porcelain was really popular and expensive, since the cobalt blue dye had to be imported from India through China, so it was only used for dragons. These made their way west on the Silk Road, along with the rare and coveted silk to western European courts all the way to Great Britain even during the most isolationist times. The motif and some of the shape and technique was copied in the UK, as I have seen these before outside of the museum, even in boot sales. (Dragon Jar 2009) Things like this, spices and silk made the trade with the east very profitable, and controlling the Mediterranean was the key to domination. Mostly the trade was dominated by the Mughal Empire, China or the Portuguese. The next artifact I noticed in this collection was another lovely round teapot with a bird on it. Since it also originated in Korea during the same time period, I have to assume the bird is the Phoenix, the alter-ego of the Dragon even though it is very small, because the painting is done with Cobalt Blue. The teapot is in lovely condition and sports a ropy handle and a lid. It could also have been used to serve wine. Clear bottles were likely very rare in Asia as they were using more porcelain and clay, so this would not have been an unusual way to use a teapot. In the Chinese artifacts there were many beautiful dishes in porcelain from China, even one with the same kind of dragon on it, also pictured moving like a flying snake with six legs. This plate was very colorful in red, blue and green. It was even decorated on the underside, and must have been some household head’s prized possession. If there was a whole set of these, they must have belonged to someone very rich indeed. They would have only been used for very distinguished and valued guests. In fact, as I remember reading somewhere, this is where the woman of the house could exert her power to make a political or social statement. Guests would know what she thought by what was served and by the set of dishes which were used. This was more and more important as you rose up the social ladder. At state dinners, seating, the menu and the dinner service, plus often the room in which the entertaining was done were very subtle comments about the guests. I think I spent most of my time looking at all the lovely porcelain in this collection, trying to understand who might have owned it. The Turkish glazed clay plates were quite colorful with intricate geometric designs in shades of red, green and blue-green. Many had plants and blossoms on them and pictures of fancy objects, like teapots and Turkish coffeepots. I do not suppose we would want to use these service objects today, as I seem to remember that the paints were not exactly healthy for consumption, but they are certainly beautiful. Of the dozens of plate in this collection I noticed especially some Chinese ones with double glazing. One such was a blue flower pattern under glaze with a yellow over glaze. This one was particularly stunning. I understand why these creations were so popular in western Europe, as the artwork was intricate and finely done. Plates like this one, which was decorated even on the bottom, would have brought a high price in London or Paris. It is no wonder that the Portuguese, the various East Indian, Persian and Arabian kingdoms and even the Spanish fought to control the Mediterranean. Pirates could even get quite rich with the cargoes that made their way from Asia to the west. One very curious set of fragile art were the Chinese snuff bottles. I do not recall reading about snuff as a particularly Chinese habit, so I assume that many of these were actually made for the western market. They are amazing in their artistry and all the different shapes. The carvings were used both inside and outside glass bottles with stoppers. This one is on the website and it is even more beautiful in person. This kind of every day useful item from that time, so very beautifully created makes me wonder what we have lost with mass production. I suppose if you were rich at the time this bottle was created, you lived a life filled with gracious beauty like this. I have looked in very upscale house wares stores, mostly what they called window shopping with my mother and other relatives, especially when shopping trips were mostly females and children, yet nothing I ever saw can begin to compare with this bottle. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong Period (1736-1795) Artist/maker unknown, Chinese Translucent "lotus root powder" (oufen) glass overlaid with red glass relief decoration; green jade stopper with ivory spoon 3 1/8 x 1 5/8 inches (8 x 4.1 cm) * Gallery 236, Asian Art, second floor, right-hand case I think it is amazing that these very fragile artifacts have survived so long, and I am very glad that they are made available for use to see. This bottle, like the other porcelain and glass decorated items, shows us what was considered important to the cultures from which they came. Later in this period the subjects might have changed to please foreign customers, but this bottle was strictly Chinese in its character, with the cherry blossoms so much a part of their environment. I have read in poetry and stories of that time about nature and spring was the most wonderful. There is still a spring festival we call Chinese New Year celebrated for weeks in Asia. Our one day celebration seems very small. In looking at all of the fragile glass, pottery and porcelain objects we can see very much how their owners lived and what they treasured and thought about. We also see and understand more about the trade of the time and the wars to control the trade routes. Pirates and opposing military and merchants ships made shipping quite dangerous on the ancient Mediterranean. I never really understood this so intimately, not even from the stories that have come down to us from that time, until I saw these wonderful artifacts. References Dragon Jar, 2009, 18th Century, Korea, Philadelphia Museum of Art, http://www.philamuseum.org/education/resources/8.html?page=2 Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong Period (1736-1795),Artist/maker unknown, Chinese, Philadelphia Museum of Art, http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/210331.html?mulR=32294 Read More