European Image of China in the Seventeenth Century – Fascinating Cultures Stained with Repulsive Misbelief

Authors

  • Anna Haverkamp

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26481/marble.2014.v6.225

Abstract

What did seventeenth century Europeans know and think about China? How were the Chinese depicted in books? Looking at a travel report by two Jesuits and the illustrations of Chinese, Nepalese and Tibetans this article examines how the foreigners have been shown in one of the bestselling and most widespread books on China at the time. China monumentis, qua sacris qua profanis, nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata (1667) by Athanasius Kircher is one of the first scientific European books on China and can be regarded as the “foundation of oriental studies” (Godwin, 2009, p.20). It describes and analyzes amongst other Chinese writing, geography, culture and religion and is based on travel reports (orally, manuscripts, writings, drawings) from European Jesuit missionaries to China during the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Although written and edited by Kircher who himself had never been to China, China illustrata and its translations coined the image of China in the West in early modern times. Maastricht University Jesuit Library also contains a copy of the Dutch version of China illustrata, titled Toonneel van China, Door veel, zo Geestelijke als Werreltlijke Geheugteekenen, Verscheide Vertoningen van de Natuur en Kunst, en Blijken van veel andere Gedenkwaerdige dingen, Geopent en Verheerlijkt (1668). Regarding the text this version is not significantly different from the Latin one (Szczesniak, 1952, p.389) and will be used for analysis in this article.

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Published

2014-07-01