[KS] Percival Lowell and Collecting
Frank Hoffmann
hoffmann at koreanstudies.com
Wed Apr 22 19:33:56 EDT 2015
Hyung Il Pai wrote:
> Yes, the elite in Tokugawa Japan also collected along the lines of
> **the same** kinds of objects such as 금석문, bronzes, unusual looking
> stones and jades ( kiseki), calligraphy, seals and the collectors esp
> in Kyoto got together to circulate their catalogues and show off
> their collections.
Hyung Il, with "the same" (marked above) do you refer to Korea? The
same as in earlier centuries in Korea? I believe that the point made
was just the opposite: yes, there certainly are largely overlapping
areas, no question, but as was pointed out the Japanese often
"collected" very personal items (see Jonathan Best's note and example).
You also mention that there was "no centralized storage or exhibition
system in Japan till the early 1880s" -- yes, but that distracts us
from the real question, I think. Collecting and storing "valuable
items" was by no means a centrally organized or centralized system, it
was something every household would do on its own. The systems of
exhibition and collecting AFTER the opening of Japan -- of "art" --
then began to follow the model of 19th century Paris (and that was then
again introduced by the Japanese in Korea). So, that does not get us
much further with this question.
I think there are several other issues that all contribute to the big
difference there (of WHAT was collected, HOW it was stored, and the
DEGREE/INTENSITY of collecting -- which classes, etc.) between Korea
and Japan (I exclude China for now). All is interrelated, but I think
we might look at these issues:
The status, education, and the economic situation of artisans in Japan
vs. Korea (which, of course, directly interrelates to the entire
political and social structure of society at any given time), is
essential in getting to an answer. Horace G. Underwood, a century ago,
and certainly not a specialist on arts and crafts, made the point that
(during the late Chosŏn period) Korean artisans were dirt poor and
would only follow the EXACT instructions of their commissioners, thus
any sort of creative engagement was discouraged and crippled. (So, this
is neither the scholar artists nor the professional artists at court he
speaks about but craftsmen, artisans.) Another point he made is that
the general "apathy" and what Western travelers and residents would
perceive to be "laziness" of Koreans (the travelogues are full of such
remarks) would be the result of a dysfunctional and abusive
bureaucratic system that discourages the accumulation of wealth.
Accumulating wealth was a dangerous undertaking, he pointed out, as
those who tried regularly ended up in the county jail, while their
riches were sacked in by whoever was the yangban official running the
show. Thus far Underwood, who was certainly not a Marxist or a student
of Max Weber, but he clearly looked for political and economic reasons
to explain the absence of qualitatively high artistic production and
the existence of an art and crafts market that was in no way comparable
to the blloming, vivid one in Japan. Now, that only explains some (!)
of the issues -- a tiny, very broad taste of it, actually -- during the
turn of the century. But I would argue that for the earlier periods, if
we look at collecting or the absence thereof, and the 'storage' issue
as a technical issue related to that, the answers must certainly relate
to socioeconomic conditions as well. These days I do see some Korean
studies coming out on such issues -- Maya listed one earlier -- and
that is wonderful!
These are complex issues that sure cannot be dealt with in a few short
paragraphs. I would just wish that those making references to and
discussing and publishing issues like the collection of art and crafts
would more honestly and directly **mark** the areas that we simply do
NOT yet have a really good, solid understanding about -- rather than
looking up the Webster to find nonchalant but meaningless terms to fill
the gap, which I see happening most of the time.
Thanks,
Frank
--------------------------------------
Frank Hoffmann
http://koreanstudies.com
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