East Asia
- Comments
-
Glasgow Museums holds a distinguished collection of historical objects from China, Japan and Korea. There are approximately 4,620 items. China: Among a total of around 2,500 Chinese items, 1,349 items are ceramic. The collection also includes lacquer ware, furniture, sculpture, paintings on silk and pith, prints, calligraphy, textiles, musical instruments, metalwork, jade, numismatics, maps, and offertory goods. The most important elements of the collection were brought together by Sir William Burrell (1861–1958). Burrell was born in Glasgow on 9 July 1861, the third of seven children. His father and grandfather owned a successful Glasgow shipping agency, and his great uncle George (1777–1853) was the first British Governor of Hong Kong. In spite of this relatively close family connection, Burrell never travelled to China. It is perhaps surprising then to discover that his collection contains significant quantities of Chinese material, and that it is of such a high standard. The collection is the largest single group within Burrell’s gift to the city of Glasgow and includes over 170 bronzes, some from as early as the Shang dynasty (c.1600-1046 BC), approximately 146 pieces of jade, and more than 1,400 ceramics. The ceramics collection is one of the largest and most prominent groups among the Burrell treasures, covering a diverse variety of materials, forms, functions and time periods ranging from the Neolithic period (c.8500–1700 BC) to the Chinese Qing dynasty (AD 1644-1911). In addition to Burrell’s gift, Glasgow Museums has an eclectic collection of East Asian objects, mostly collected and gifted by missionaries, engineers, soldiers, seamen or members of the British Civil Service during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, e.g. John Dudgeon (1837-1901). These are particularly fascinating in terms of the personal history behind each piece, and how the objects came to be gifted to Glasgow. Japan: c. 2,080 items. The collection includes woodblock prints, paper samples, lacquer ware, ceramics, musical instruments, metalwork, textiles, plaster masks, carved ivory, cloisonné, parasols, and furniture. The earliest object acquired by Glasgow Museums was a Japanese sword presented by a Mr Young in 1870; this was closely followed by a gift of 1,000 works from the Japanese government to the city of Glasgow in 1878. This gift included architectural pieces, ceramics, furniture, wood and lacquer ware, musical instruments, metalwork, textiles and costume, and paper samples, part of an exchange that promoted cultural understanding and awareness between Glasgow and Japan. There are more than 2,000 Japanese objects in the collections, ranging from raw silks from the 1870s to gongs, roofing tiles and Ukiyo-e prints. This wide-ranging collection reflects the great innovation in Japanese craft industries at this time. Korea: c. 40 items. Korean artefacts at Glasgow Museums include a Goryeo-dynasty (918-1392) and Joseon-dynasty (1392-1910) ceramics, 17 pieces of pottery in total, in addition to clothing, metalwork, coins and a fan. The breadth of East Asian artefacts in Glasgow Museums underlines the close link between trade and cultural exchanges between Glasgow and East Asia. This interest continues to the present day, where we have worked with the local Eastern Asian communities and institutes.
- Broader term