THE ARTS SOCIETY THE HAGUE

Most kindly invites you to join us for our historic

SPECIAL EVENT Friday 8th November 2024 at 16.00hrs.

At the University Leiden – Campus Wijnhaven,

Room 3.60, Turfmarkt 99

2511 DP  The Hague

Faculty International Relations and Political Science

The Arts Society accredited Lecturer Mr David Rosier has composed a tailor-made lecture especially for this event, which is a first in our Special Events series, based on his vast knowledge of Imperial China - its history, culture and arts.

'THE RELEVANCE OF FINE ART IN IMPERIAL CHINA’S RESPONSE TO GLOBALISATION'

TRIBUTE – TRADE – THEFT

This lecture explores the evolution of Imperial China’s diplomatic and trading interaction with the World that lay beyond its borders and the role that fine art played in those relationships.

To understand China’s view of their position in the World it is necessary to go back to the dawn of Imperial Rule (Qin Dynasty 221-206 BCE) where the principles of the ‘Son of Heaven’ ruling the ‘Middle Kingdom’ with the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ were established by the first emperor who drew heavily upon Confucian philosophy.  A durable approach that served China until the collapse of Imperial rule in 1911.

Fine art patronage was the preserve of the emperor and his court.  Awareness of fine art produced for the Imperial Court arose through the ‘Tribute’ system which existed between China and ‘Vassal State’ neighbours.  Tribute dominated trade from the Han to Song Dynasties (206 BCE – 1279 CE) where China successfully exploited the demand for its finest, and often unique, products.

The 15th century marked the initial stages of what is now known as ‘Globalisation’ where Western Powers sought to establish global trading relationships.  Envoys from countries such as Portugal, The Netherlands, and Great Britain became fixated on the ‘luxury’ products that China produced (ceramics, silk, jade and tea) but sought economic reciprocity which China was loathed to provide.

China initially sought, and succeeded, to trade under highly restrictive terms with limited interest in importing European expertise, raw materials, or manufactures.  A strategy that would eventually threaten the stability of the global economy.

The talk will trace diplomatic and trading developments through the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) before focussing on the Imperial prosperity of the 18th Century under Emperor Qianlong.  His legacy, was however, the military and economic humiliations of the 19th Century as China stubbornly rejected industrialisation and the concept of a Free Trade environment.

Fine art and antiquities would play a critical role as China was forced into a Free Trade environment following defeats in two Opium Wars (1839-1842 & 1856-1860) and particularly with the realisation by Western powers that ownership of the Imperial Art Collection was assumed to give political legitimacy to an emperor – any lose was therefore regarded as cultural humiliation.

The talk will conclude with a brief overview of how China has sought to preserve its Imperial cultural and artistic heritage in the Republican and Communist eras.