The intersection of antiquarianism, colonialism and imperialism - How the collection of artifacts shaped national narratives

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[...] It is interesting to focus on one antiquarian to understand the extent to which the collection and study of antiquities played a huge role at the time and was deeply linked to imperialism. Yang Shoujing's work in antiquarianism and book compilation was a way for him "to (re)assert Chinese intellectual superiority in relation to Japan" (Brown page 81). By collecting and critically examining lost Chinese works that he found in Japan, the scholar aimed at showing the value and relevance of China's ancient objects, which Japan considered irrelevant. [...]

[...] The Parthenon marbles also show how antiquarianism was used as a tool of imperial power and national identity for Britain. Indeed, the marbles were considered as "icons of British nationhood" (Rose-Greenland page 10) and reinforced "the strengths of the British cultural nation" (Rose-Greenland page thus serving as tools of imperial power. By taking the marbles from Greece, Britain not only appropriated cultural artifacts but also used them to assert dominance and promote the country's cultural identity: Britain positioned themselves as the rightful heirs to ancient Greece and the marbles were tools helping them to assert and justify that goal, linking themselves to the greatness of Greece. [...]

[...] She thus made very clear the link between antiquarianism and colonialism, definitely helping me in my essay. Yet, I felt like her analysis only focused on the British viewpoint on the issue, and, even though Greek's was mentioned, I wished she talked about their stance in greater depth. Additionally, the article lacked comparison with other disputes or alternative views in a broader international context. I am going to use the article for the first subpart of the second part of my work. [...]

[...] The intersection of antiquarianism, colonialism and imperialism - how the collection of artifacts shaped national narratives Antiquarianism is the study and collection of ancient artifacts, which has played an important role in shaping national pride and cultural identity throughout history. More than just being a tool of entertainment and intellectual pursuit, in many cases, antiquarianism was closely linked to colonialism and imperialism: they can be succinctly defined as, on the one hand, the practice of controlling another country and its resources, and, on the other hand, the process, for a country, to dominate another in order to strengthen its own power and influence. [...]

[...] China: antiquarianism as cultural reassertion First of all, in China, during the late Qing period, antiquarianism was a tool used to strengthen the country's cultural identity and pride, and highlight its superiority over Japan. Various antiquarians played a huge role towards that goal, in a time of crisis where it was crucial for the country to appear culturally and politically powerful. At the time, antiquarianism indeed became a response to the colonial threats posed by European powers and Japan. After defeats in the Opium Wars and the Sino-Japanese War, China was fragilized and the country's officials decided to use antiquarianism as a way to reassert China's identity and push back against the colonial narratives that portrayed the country as a declining civilization. [...]