SEEING CHINA: ANTIQUE EUROPEAN ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, 1667-1874

看中國：歐洲插圖古書 1667-1874

A student exhibition from the Department of Fine Arts, The University of Hong Kong 香港大學藝術系學生策展

At The University Museum and Art Gallery 香港大學美術博物館

Of books in The University of Hong Kong Libraries 香港大學圖書館提供圖書

Edited by Greg M. Thomas

Chinese editing by Elaine Kwok Yin Ning 陶格主編

郭燕寧中文编輯

December 2, 2009 – January 16, 2010 2009年 12 月 2日－2010年 1月 16日

© 2009, Department of Fine Arts, The University of Hong Kong

© 2009, 香港大學藝術系

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INTRODUCTION

Until the widespread publication of illustrated newspapers and then photographs

in the late 19th century, Europeans saw China almost exclusively through one medium – printed illustrations in books. Artists created these prints based on visitors’ drawings, other prints, memory, and often fantasy. While varying greatly in accuracy and authenticity, they created the basic visual vocabulary through which most Western people visualized the abstract, remote, and exotic civilization known as China. Such prints also structured the vision and expectations of people who actually traveled to China, shaping their interpretation of what they witnessed and influencing the new images they created in response. Book illustrations thus played an enormous role in establishing Western perceptions and misperceptions of China as these two grand civilizations came into closer and closer contact.

The antique books in this exhibition, all owned by the University of Hong Kong libraries, include the most influential works on China, from the earliest missionary and diplomatic missions in the 17th century to John Thomson’s monumental photographic survey of 1874. They show shifting interests and prejudices, as Europe went through Enlightenment and a taste for Chinoiserie in the 18th century, then instigated the Opium Wars to open trade and travel in the 19th. Specific images selected for display reveal a wide diversity of representation, from the true to the fantastic and from high culture to comic caricature. They also show diverse print technologies, from the fine lines of copper engravings and the fuzzier textures of etching to the tonal effects of colored aquatints and the sometimes harsh realism of photographs, which in this period were still printed using etching plates rather than photographic paper.

This exhibition was curated by undergraduate Fine Arts majors in my seminar course Perspectives in Western Art. We are grateful for the generous support and expertise of Ms. Iris Chan, Ms. Edith Chan, and their staff in the Special Collections department; Ms. Stacy Belcher Gould, University Archivist; and Mr. C. T. Yeung, Director of the University Museum and Art Gallery. Elaine Kwok Yin Ning translated the English texts by Thomas and Suen; all other Chinese translations are by the authors.

Funding for this catalogue comes from the Department of Fine Arts Endowment Fund.

Dr. Greg M. Thomas, Department of Fine Arts, The University of Hong Kong

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序言

在十九世紀後期，圖文並茂的報紙和相片還沒有廣泛地流傳，歐洲人只能通過印有

印刷畫的圖書，才可以看見中國。很多藝術家根據一些訪華者的畫稿、他人的印刷

畫、自己的記憶、甚至是幻想，去創作印刷畫。雖然那些印刷畫的準碓度和可信性都

很參差，但它們卻製造了基本的圖像詞彙，讓歐洲人能「看見」一個抽象而遙遠的異

國文明—中國。而且，那些印刷畫更成為之後去中國遊訪者的視覺基楚，和他們理解

中國的參照物，甚至是他們詮釋中國的藍本，當然也成為後人製畫的模範。所以，圖

書裡的印刷畫，一方面塑造了歐洲人對中國正碓或不正碓的看法；另一方面，印刷畫

在歐亞兩大文明的交流和聯繫過程中，也扮演着非常重要的角色。

這次展覽展出的歐洲古圖書，都是香港大學圖書館的藏書。這些以中國為題材的圖

書，有很多是當時在歐洲極具影響力的著作。當中包括最早期十七世紀傳教士的來華

使命，和十九世紀 1874 年，John Thomson 在中國所拍攝的著名相片集。這批古圖

書，展示了歐洲人對中國的興趣和偏見如何轉變：從十八世紀啟蒙時期的“中國風”熱

潮，到十九世紀發動鴉片戰爭而取得貿易權和旅遊權。展出的印刷畫種類繁多，這些

描繪中國的圖像，有真確的也有想像的，有高尚的藝術作品也有通俗的漫畫。而且，

這些印刷畫展現出不同程度的印刷科技，有展現精細線條的銅版雕刻畫

（engraving），有呈現較模糊質感的銅版蝕刻（etching），也有表現顏色光暗的凹版

蝕鏤（aquatint）。有些印刷畫，甚至是真實感極強的相片，因為當時並非用相紙而是

用印刷技術複印相片的。

這次展覽的展覽品，是由香港大學藝術系本科生策展的，這些本科生都是修讀我所

教的一門研討課：西方藝術的觀點與角度 （Perspectives in Western Art）。在此非常

感謝下列人士，對這次展覽所作出的支持，和提供他們專業的意見及專門的知識：香

港大學圖書館特藏部的兩位陳小姐（Iris Chan and Edith Chan）及特藏部的職員、古達

詩小姐（香港大學檔案中心檔案總監）、楊春棠 先生（香港大學美術博物館總監）。

郭燕寧小姐（Elaine Kwok）將陶格博士和孫嘉利小姐的英文文本翻譯成中文；其他的

中文譯本，由各作者自己負責。

這展覽的場刋是由「香港大學藝術系捐贈基金」贊助。

文：陶格博士 香港大學藝術系

譯：郭燕寧

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1. Adele M. Fielde, Pagoda Shadows: Studies from Life in China, 5th ed. (Boston: W. G. Corthell, 1886), 17.6 x 11.3 cm., 285 pp., illustrated with 16 halftones from original photographs and wood engravings, modern binding in leather, with sections of original calf leather glued on, formerly in the collection of the Hankow Club Library, 1922, acquired 1933.

You can’t judge a book by its cover, but a cover can tell you much about a book and its history. In this case, the title Pagoda Shadows and its pseudo-Asiatic script evoke a slightly ominous exoticism, while the pagoda image recalls one of the most repeated visual symbols of China in early Western representations – a symbol of mystery, foreign religions, and fantastic architecture, but also a souvenir of 18th-century Chinoiserie buildings in Europe. Leather was the standard, durable material for book covers at this time, but embossing the title and decorative border into the leather was an extra flourish, requiring fine craftsmanship and extra capital. Embossing and gilding the pagoda further lent importance to the book’s subject matter – China – while also making the book itself valuable as a beautiful material object. Compared to larger and more elaborate books, however, the small size of this one suggests its modest aims, presenting to middle class readers an American woman’s experience living in southern China, collecting information and stories about women’s lives and the supposed benefits of Christianity in China.

Inscribed on the spine of this book is some of its social history. The gilt embossed stamp of the Hankow Club refers to a British club in the treaty port of Hankow (Hankou), in modern-day Wuhan, along the Yangtze River. An inscription inside indicates the club acquired the book in 1922, and the club’s old call number on the spine – F.455.p – is based on a classification by author’s last name. In December, 1932, the University of Hong Kong purchased the China section of the club’s library, comprising over 3,000 volumes. After many years, the university re-catalogued the Hankow Club collection using their Dewey Decimal system, with the new number typed and taped over the spine. Inscriptions inside books often reveal former owners and acquisition dates; one book in this exhibition bears evidence of library looting during World War II, with a library stamp that reads “returned from Japan 1948.” The peeling leather also reveals that the book has been rebound in modern times, with remnants of the original leather glued on to preserve some of its history and prestige.

Books require collaboration among numerous people – author, illustrator, printmaker, printer, paper maker, and binder at least. This exhibition focuses on pictures in books, but it helps to remember the material context in which these pictures were created, carried, and transmitted from one generation to another. Pagoda Shadows is the latest book in this exhibition and marks the end of one era – when book illustrations were made by hand – and the beginning of another; its illustrations use the technique that would dominate book and newspaper publishing for a century, reproducting photographs using a halftone block made with a dot screen. Today is another transitional time, with the rise of digital publishing threatening to eliminate books themselves – and the material history they carry in their worn leather skins.

Dr. Greg M. Thomas

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1. Adele M. Fielde，《東方寶塔的影子：在中國實地寫生》，第五版，（波士頓：W.

G. Corthell，1886年），17.6 x 11.3厘米，共 285 頁，有 16張半解像的印刷畫，由原

本的相片以木刻印刷畫（版畫）製成，現代皮革裝訂，有部分貼上小牛皮，前為

Hankow Club圖書館藏書，1933年成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 雖然我們不能以一本書的裝訂外表來判斷它的價值，但是它的裝訂外表，卻能告訴

我們很多關於這本書的東西和它的歷史。《東方寶塔的影子》的書名和它以亞洲為假

像的內容，激發起不祥的異國想像。通過東方寶塔的圖像，喚起了和象徵了歐洲人對

中國最多的聯想。東方寶塔的圖像象徵了玄義奧祕、異地宗教和奇幻建築；東方寶塔

更是歐洲人對十八世紀“中國風”熱潮的紀念品。皮革是耐用和常用的裝訂物料，但有

凸紋雕花和裝飾書邊入皮，是一種過多的炫耀，因為這需要很精工的手藝和額外的金

錢。凸紋鍍金雕花更顯示了書的重要主題—中國，同時也令到這本書成為一個貴重和

美麗的物件。與其他大部頭的著作相比，這本細小的書，暗示了它的審慎目標便是，

以一個美國女人在南中國生活的經歷，去吸引有興趣的讀者。搜集女性生活的資料和

故事，與基督教在中國救濟的情況。

刻在書脊的，是這本書的社會歷史。那個 Hankow Club的鍍金凸印，指示了一個英

國會社在 Hankow（Hankou）的條約通商口岸，如現今在長江流域的武漢市。書內的

銘文指示，那個英國會社在 1922 年藏有這本書，書脊上還有會社舊的藏書號碼–

F.455.p，一個根據作者名字編排的分類系統。1932 年香港大學買下那個會社圖書館內

的中國部分，共有 3000本書卷。很多年後，香港大學重新為這批書卷，以杜威十進分

類法編號碼，把新的號碼牌貼在書脊上。很多時候，書內的銘文告知我們書的來歷和

收藏日期。這本書，盛載了二次世界大戰中掠奪物的印記，它上面的藏印寫着「1948

年由日本歸還」。有披口的皮革，透露了這本書已被現代皮革裝訂過；但封面還保留

了原本皮革的殘留物，以保存這本書的歷史和威望。

所有書，都是集很多人之力才可完成–作者、繪圖員、印刷畫畫師、印刷工匠、造

紙工匠、最後的裝訂工匠。這次展覽的焦點是書中的圖片，但我們也不可忘記盛載圖

片的書卷，它們把圖片展現和一代代地承傳下去。《東方寶塔的影子》是這次展覽的

最後一本書，它標誌着一個時期的結束–當圖片還是人手製作的時期，也標誌着一個時

期的開始；在這個時期裡，複製圖片是用黑點，點聚成半解像的印刷畫，這種機械式

的製作，主導了報紙和書籍的印行有一個世紀之久。現在是另一個轉變期，用紙張的

書卷，已漸漸地被電子和數碼書取代；書卷的物質歷史，也許只能通過那些破舊的皮

革身上才能找到。

文：陶格博士

譯：郭燕寧

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2. Athanasii Kircheri [Athanasius Kircher], China monumentis, qvà sacris quà profanisn nec non variis naturae & artis spectaculis, aliarumque rerum memorabilium argumentis illustrata [China Illustrata, with Sacred and Secular Monuments, Various Spectacles of Nature and Art and other Memorabilia], 1st edition (Amsterdam: Apud Jacobum à Meurs, 1667), 31.4 x 21 cm., 237 pp., illustrated with 58 etchings and 14 woodcuts, 18th-century binding in full calf leather, acquired 1962. Exhibited: figure Aa, p. 112/113, Impery Sino Tartarici Supremus Monarcha [Supreme Monarch of the Sino-Tartar Empire], unknown artist, etching, 25.8 x 17.5 cm.

For over two hundred years, China Illustrata was the only single-volume reference book published in Europe containing comprehensive illustrations of China. It therefore profoundly shaped Europeans’ basic understanding of China. Kircher, a father in the Society of Jesus, gathered his information about natural science, geography, cultural customs, arts, and religion by drawing on interviews and books written by missionaries, with support from the Society of Jesus. He published it in Latin rather than his native Dutch in order to influence the widest possible audience. A French translation was published in 1670, but the first full English translation only appeared in 1987. It is still very influential even in today’s Oriental Studies.

The illustration exhibited here shows Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing dynasty in a Western-looking setting. By comparing it with royal portraits from Europe and China, we can see how the artist filled in the gaps between European traditions and the newly discovered culture. European elements include the Ionic pillar, floral ornaments on the curtain, the scepter in the Emperor’s hand, and the dog next to the sovereign. All of these are European symbols that we can find in Western royal paintings. It is notable that the symbol of “dragon” on the emperor’s robe and the “kowtow” (kneeling and touching the ground with one’s forehead) in the background are emphasized in the illustration, making them the only remarkable symbols of Chinese tradition in Western eyes. Influenced by the prominent Illustrata, these two symbols re-appeared in many later Chinoiserie paintings. Cross-cultural interpretation here is somehow a juxtaposition of one’s own culture and the other. Just outside the edges of the picture, one can see a depression in the paper caused by the edge of the etching plate.

Abel Lau Chun Yin

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2. 阿塔納斯·珂雪，《圖解中國》，第一版（1667年由 Apud Jacobum a Meurs 於阿姆

斯特丹印刷）31.4 x 21厘米，共 237頁，有 58幅及 14幅木刻印刷畫（版畫），重新

裝訂為十八世紀全小牛皮封皮， 1962年成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：所展示的為圖 Aa 於第 112/113 頁的 《至高無上中國－韃靼帝王》，不知名

畫家及印刷畫工匠，銅版蝕刻印刷畫，25.8 x 17.5厘米。 《圖解中國》曾是二百多年來歐洲唯一載有多元化插圖的漢學參考書，因此，本書

亦塑造了歐洲人對中國的認識和看法。本身為耶穌會神父的作者，珂雪在其教會的支

持下，從不同曾到訪中國的神職人員及他們的著作中，搜集了很多關於自然科學、地

理、文化習俗、藝術及宗教等的資料，編輯成此書。為了能讓最多的讀者看到此作，

他選擇了以拉丁文出版，而不用其母語荷蘭語。於 1670年發行了其法語譯本，但其英

譯本則於 1987年才面世。本書到現在，仍對近代的東方研究具有重要的影響力。

這裡展示了一張極具西方色彩的清朝順冶帝人像印刷畫。將此圖與在旁的另外兩幅

歐洲及中國帝王像比較，不難發覺畫家如何將西方的傳統，注入他們新發現的文化之

中。歐洲文化的元素，如愛奧尼亞底柱、鮮花圖案的布簾、皇帝手持的權杖及其身旁

的狗等，都在這幅中國帝王像中出現。值得留意的是龍袍上的「龍」，及在背景中的

「叩頭」中國文化特徵，在此圖中被加以特顯，令這兩項成為歐洲人眼中，代表中國

文化的象徵，亦因此在很多其後的歐洲著作中，能見到它們的存在。從此圖所見，跨

文化演譯，某程度上只是把自己已有的文化認知加於他國文化的身上。於本圖外圍，

我們能見到一個由銅版蝕刻所印出的壓印。

劉俊彥

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No. 2

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3. Johannes Nieuhof, Gezantschap der Neerlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, den tegenwoordigen keizer van China [An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China], 1st edition (Amsterdam: Jacobum Meursium, 1668), 31.5 x 21.8 cm, 172 pp., illustrated with 147 etchings, modern re-binding in cloth, formerly in the collection of Sir Paul Chater. Exhibited: Clippen door Const gemaikt Rupes arte Factæ [Cliff Made by Art], based on a drawing by Johannes Nieuhof, Amsterdam, etching, 15.6 x 9.9 cm.

Marco Polo’s travel account about the Kingdom of Cathay was published at the end of the 13th century. Thereafter, European audiences received fragments of information about this distant wonderland. Jesuits missionaries such as Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and Bento de Goes (1562-1607) confirmed the existence of China and their writings generated further fantasies about the Orient. By the 1620s, the Portuguese, Dutch, and English had all begun trading with China. Their frequent interaction not only revealed the enormous potential of the Chinese market, it also strengthened the maritime route to China, increasing its accessibility for the West. As an ambassador, Johannes Nieuhof (1618-1672) traveled to China with the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in 1655-1657 and was given the task of observing and recording information about the journey. In 1665, his book was launched. Receiving an immediate success, the Dutch original was translated into French (1665), Latin (1668), and English (1669). It was especially valued for its unprecedented number of illustrations, which were considered the most authoritative images of China in the 17th and 18th century. They were copied for other travel accounts and also used as a source of inspiration for other types of art production, such as Chinoiserie designs.

Cliff Made by Art is an example of a medium-size etching, printed together with text. According to the literary descriptions, the image shows Chinese “artificial rocks” that Nieuhof saw during his visit. He describes them as being “at least forty feet” high and of “extraordinary strangeness.” Nieuhof praises this overwhelming aesthetic beauty and points out that these artificial rocks are popular, featuring in the Emperor’s summer retreats too. This illustration has clear visual exaggerations of the rocks’ scale and their irregular shapes, contributing to the exotic portrayal of Chinese landscape. Yet, many images in the same volume conform closely to typical western depictions of seascape and landscape, so contemporary readers would tend to admire the occasional oddness rather than questioning its authenticity.

Nicole Fung Nok Kan

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3. 約翰·尼奧豪夫，《東印度公司大使訪華見聞錄》，第一版，（阿姆斯特丹：Jacobum Meursium，1668），31.5 x 21.8 厘米，共 172 頁，有一百四十七幅銅版蝕刻

印刷畫，現代重新裝訂為布面封皮，前屬保羅·遮打爵士收藏。 展覽品：《藝術峭壁》，以約翰·尼奧豪夫的旅遊寫生為本，阿姆斯特丹，銅版蝕刻

印刷畫，15.6 x 9.9厘米。 《馬可孛羅遊記》，又名《東方見聞錄》，於十三世紀末面世。自此，歐洲便充斥

著一些關於這千里之外仙境的零碎資料。曾訪華的傳教士如利瑪竇（1552-1610）和鄂

本篤（1562-1607）都證實中國的存在，他們的文字大大引起西方讀者對東方的幻想。

1620 年代，葡萄牙人、荷蘭人和英國人全都已經開始在中國經商了。頻繁的接觸不但

向外展現了中國龐大的商機，還逐漸鞏固了西方往來遠東的航海線道，從而增加與中

國深入交流的機會。1655年，荷蘭人約翰·尼奧豪夫（1618-1673）隨荷蘭東印度公司

到中國遊歷，被指派去觀察和記錄兩年間旅途的見聞。尼奧豪夫的書《東印度公司公

使訪華見聞錄》初出版於 1665年，以荷蘭文著作。一出版即極受歡迎，同年推出法文

翻譯本，更於五年內發售拉丁文和英文翻譯本。此書特別之處，在於其空前的印刷畫

數量，它們被喻為十七至十八世紀中國影像的權威。這些插圖不單在別的遊記裡被複

印，亦是其他藝術製品的靈感來源。

在書中印刷畫與文字並列，《藝術峭壁》是中型尺寸銅版蝕刻印刷畫的例子。根據

記載，這印刷畫表現了，尼奧豪夫在中國所見到的人造山石。他形容這些異常的山石

群，最少高四十尺，古怪而美麗，他提到帝王級的避暑勝地都有這些人造山石，可見

它們在中國確是十分受歡迎。明顯地，畫匠誇張了山石的大小和造型，為中國景色添

加不少異國情調。由於書中很多的印刷畫，都是遵照典型西方風景畫的格局和手法而

製作，當時的讀者大都不會質疑印刷畫的可信性，反而對這些奇觀不勝佩服，對中國

充滿更多憧憬。

馮諾勤

  12

4. William Chambers, Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines, and Utensils, 1st edition (London: published by the author, 1757), 57.9 x 38.5 cm., 23 pp. text plus 21 inserted prints, illustrated with 21 engravings, modern cloth binding, formerly in the collection of the Hankow Club Library, acquired 1933. Exhibited: plate X, Figs. 1 and 2, by Micheal’angelo’ Rooker, based on drawings by William Chambers, engraving, 46.7 x 30.5 cm.

This is the original edition of Designs of Chinese Buildings, Furniture, Dresses, Machines, and Utensils, published in 1757. The illustrations found in the book are all based on original drawings made by William Chambers during journeys in China when he was employed by the Swedish East India Company. One of the first detailed analyses of Chinese architecture and interior design, Chambers published the book mainly for his own interests and for the Royal Highness George the Prince of Wales. The list of subscribers includes dozens of aristocrats, writers, and artists. He also noted in his preface that Europeans’ notions of Chinese architecture were very imperfect and that most western descriptions of Chinese buildings were unintelligible. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Chinoiserie was prevalent in Europe, promoting a fantasy vision of China and the East. Chambers’ book thus catered to British taste at the height of Chinoiserie, but it also provided the first practical architectural models based on actual experience in China. Chambers became architect to the British king in 1755 and erected the famous Chinese pagoda at Kew Gardens in 1761.

The two illustrations shown here depict the interior design of a typical room in a Chinese house. These spatially convincing illustrations demonstrate Chambers’ professionalism in architecture. Figure 1 shows folding doors at one end of the room that can admit light into the bedroom beyond. The side walls of the room in figure 2 are matted, covered in paper, and hung with pictures. Chambers also praised some of the lanterns with different shapes and motifs. Interpreting China from a domestic perspective, this image incorporates Chinese morals in the paintings and the Chinese philosophy of getting close to nature in the display of seasonal fruit and plants. The illustration of an interior space could be an inspiring idea for Europeans to decorate their homes with similar wallpaper and furniture. However, Chinese elements were usually transformed into fanciful interiors for women and leisure, as in the Chinese Room at Claydon House, Buckinghamshire, which was inspired by similar books (the New Book of Chinese Designs Calculated to Improve the Present Taste, 1754, and Universal System of Household Furniture, 1762). Chambers’ engravings also show a high degree of craftsmanship, evident in the detailed patterns and decorative motifs on the door in figure 1, and the Chinese characters on the wall in figure 2, which have been reversed in the printing process. Around the prints, one can see the depression of the paper caused by the printing plate. Note that the lines are crisper and more precise than the etched lines in catalogue no. 2.

Madeline Lai Pui Yi

  13

4. 威廉姆·錢伯斯爵士 《中國人的房屋、家具、服裝、機器與器皿之設計》，第一版

（倫敦: 由作者出版，1757）， 57.9 x 38.5 厘米，共23頁，有21幅銅版雕刻印刷畫，現

代重新裝訂為布面封皮，前藏於漢口會圖書館，1933年成為香港大學圖書館書。 展覽品：圖版十，圖一及二（各為46.7 x 30.5厘米），由Rooker, Micheal’angelo’根據威

廉姆‧錢伯斯爵士畫的素描，來製成銅版雕刻印刷畫。 這次展出的是1757年，首次出版的《中國人的房屋、家具、服裝、機器與器皿之設

計》。書中的版畫全都是根據威廉姆‧錢伯斯爵士受僱於瑞典東印度公司時，前往中

國，於旅途其間所畫的原圖而印製。此書為首批詳細分析，中國建築及室內設計的書

籍。錢伯斯爵士出版此書的主要原因，是為了他個人的興趣及獻給當時威爾斯王子喬

治陛下。訂閱者名單包括貴族、作家與藝術家。錢伯斯爵士亦在序言中提到，歐洲人

對中國建築的見解有很多缺陷的地方，而很多西方對中國建築物的敍述是晦澀難懂

的。在十七及十八世紀期間，歐洲正值“中國熱”時期，提倡對中國及東方加以無限幻

想的憧憬。此書迎合處於“中國熱”高峰的英國人口味，還提供了第一個根據在中國實

地考察得出的實際建築樣式。錢伯斯爵士於1755年成為皇帝的建築師，並於1761年在

邱園豎立了著名和具中國風格的寶塔。

兩幅展出的印刷畫，均描繪了傳統中國房間的室內設計。錢伯斯爵士在空間表達上

令人信服，盡顯其建築師的專業。圖一展示了房間內的盡處，有一排可摺疊的屏風

門，這門都可以讓光線進入門後的睡房。圖二中的房間牆壁都鋪上牆紙及懸上掛畫。

錢伯斯爵士在書中讚賞一些不同形狀及圖案的燈籠。兩幅圖都從家居的角度去詮釋中

國，並加入中國傳統觀念：房中的掛畫反映中國道德概念，房中擺放的時令水果及植

物，展現了中國「順其自然，親近自然」的哲學。這些描繪家居設計的圖畫，為當時

的歐洲人，提供了用相類的牆紙和家具去佈置家居的意念。但是，這些中國的元素，

多被轉化成精緻花巧的室內設計，以用於給女姓及娛樂用途的房間中。例如，英國白

金漢郡的雷東之屋的“中國室”，便是由同類書籍得到設計靈感〔書名見英文譯本〕。

書中的印刷畫，展現了雕刻者的非凡工藝，特別可見於圖一裡門上細緻的花紋和圖

案，以及圖二裡，牆上畫了一些中文字（這些中文字在印刷過程中被左右倒轉了）。

在書中的印刷畫四周，可見印刷過程中，紙張經擠壓後留下的印刷版痕跡。此外還可

留意，這些印刷畫中的刻線比圖一的更乾淨利落和精確。

黎佩怡

  14

No. 4

  16

5a. George Leonard Staunton, An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China; Including Cursory Observations Made, and Information Obtained, in Travelling through that Ancient Empire, and a Small Part of Chinese Tartary, 1st edition, 2 text volumes and 1 folio volume of maps and illustrations (London: W. Bulmer and Co. for G. Nicol, 1797), text volumes 29.4 x 23.0 cm., 518 pp. and 626 pp., illustrated with 7 and 21 wood engravings (frontispieces missing); folio volume 58.5 x 43.8 cm., with 72 engravings on single or double leaves; binding in quarter calf leather, 1956, formerly in the collection of [Wm. Figg], Sir Paul Chater, and Sir Cecil Clementi, acquired 1927. Exhibited: plate 42, Economy of Time and Labour, Exemplified in a Chinese Waterman, by Thomas Medland, based on a drawing by William Alexander, printed by G. Nicol, London, 1796, engraving, 23.8 x 29 cm.

The book was based on Sir George Macartney’s diplomatic mission to China in the years 1792-1794. The most detailed, comprehensive and authentic description of China at that time, this book was republished in English, German, Dutch, Polish, and Russian between 1798 and 1805, making it perhaps the most widely known and influential book on China in the West thus far. Illustrations in the book were made according to sketches and paintings made along the traveling route, giving us an insight of how China appeared to the British some 200 years ago. Pictures include architecture, technology, plants and animals, and cultural activities.

This engraving shows a scene on the Chen-tang-chaung (Qiantangjiang), through which the embassy passed on the way from Han-choo-foo (Hangzhou) to Canton (Guangdong) after meeting the Emperor in Beijing. On the one hand, as we can see from its title, this illustration was meant to show the peacefulness and leisureliness of life in China: even the boatman can manage his job in such a relaxed manner that he is “steering his own boat with one hand, managing the sail with the other, and pulling a large oar with his foot, and at the same time smoking his pipe with the greatest ease and indifference.” On the other hand, the activity could also have appeared primitive to those from a country undergoing the Industrial Revolution; for them this was something dying out and could only exist in a faraway and unindustrialized society like China. Such an impression is strengthened by the Chinese houses and a pagoda in the background, which are used here and in other books to create a sense of exotic space. The interesting question arises as to what extent the Westerners viewed China as a place of wonders and otherness, and to what extent their view would carry overtones of Western superiority over the East. Would such “economy” really be meritorious in Western minds?

Yang Hanzi

  17

5a. George Leonard Staunton，《英使謁見乾隆紀實》，第一版，文集兩冊，地圖與印

刷畫集一冊（倫敦：W. Bulmer and Co. for G. Nicol, 1797年），文集 29.4 x 23厘米，

第一冊共 518頁，有銅版雕刻印刷畫 7幅，第二冊共 626頁，有銅版雕刻印刷畫 21幅

（卷首的印刷畫遺失了）；地圖與印刷畫集 58.5 x 43.8 厘米，共有單、雙頁銅版雕刻

印刷畫 72幅；於 1956年重新裝訂為 1/4小牛皮封皮，最早為 [Wm. Figg]，H.E. Sir

Clementi 收藏，後轉為 Sir Paul Chater收藏，1927年成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：印刷畫 42：《省時省力，中國船夫的例子》，Thomas Medland 根據William

Alexander的原畫而製作，倫敦 G. Nicol公司印刷，1796年， 銅版雕刻印刷畫，23.8 x

29 厘米。 這本書是根據喬治•馬戛爾尼使團，於 1792 至 1794 年間對中國的外交訪問，成為

當時對中國最為詳細、全面、真實的記述。此書在 1798 至 1805 年間曾以英文，德

文，荷蘭文，波蘭文和俄文多次重新出版。由此成為當時西方，可能最廣為人知、最

有影響力的關於中國的著作。書中的印刷畫，多根據使團沿途見聞的畫作，期後製成

印刷畫，其內容囊括了建築、科技、動植物及文化活動等，觀之可對二百余年之前，

英國人眼中的中國有所了解。

馬戛爾尼使團在北京晉見乾隆皇帝之後一路南下，這印刷畫記錄了，使團由杭州府

前往廣州時所經錢塘江上的一景。一方面，標題告訴我們，這幅畫意在展示中國人生

活的安寧悠閑，即使是船夫也可以如此輕松地“一手駛船，一手拉帆，一腳搖槳，同時

還十分悠閑淡定地吸著煙”。另一方面，這樣的場景對於正在經歷工業革命的英國人來

講，也許會顯得原始落後，因為對他們來說，人力勞作是正在消失的事物，只能在像

中國這樣遙遠又非工業化的社會裡找到。 如此的印像，被後景中的中式房屋和寶塔進

一步加強，類似的中式建築物，經常被用來創造一種異國的風情。有趣的問題是，西

方人在何種程度上將中國視為奇異的國度，又在何種程度上帶著優越感來看待東方。

這樣的“省時省力”在西方人看來，真的值得讚揚嗎？

楊晗孜

  18

5b. George Leonard Staunton, An Authentic Account of an Embassy from the King of Great Britain to the Emperor of China; Including Cursory Observations Made, and Information Obtained, in Travelling through that Ancient Empire, and a Small Part of Chinese Tartary, 2nd edition, 2 text volumes and 1 folio volume (London: W. Bulmer and Co. for G. Nicol, 1798), text volumes 28.1 x 21.7 cm., 518 pp. and 626 pp., illustrated with 7 and 21 wood engravings; folio volume 56.8 x 43.3 cm., with 72 engravings on single or double leaves; modern library cloth binding,, vol. 1 presented to the Hankow Club Library by Rev. B. [Upevard] in 1924; vol. 2 and folio formerly in the collection of John Sheffield, 1869, presented to the Hankow Club Library by R.R. Hynd in 1920; full set acquired 1933. Exhibited: plate 41, View of the Tower of the Thundering Winds on the Borders of the Lake See-Hoo, taken from the Vale of Tombs, by F. Landseer and T. Shirt, based on a drawing by William Alexander, printed by G. Nicol, London, 1796, engraving, 36 x 49.5 cm.

This lavish engraving from the folio volume reflects a strong Western interest in documenting China’s exotic landscape, architecture, plants, and funeral customs. On each side of the illustration we see a tree, with its leaves and branches elaborately rendered, showing a scientific approach in documenting the alien plants, for example the “weeping thuya”, which was “unknown in Europe” and “overhung many of the graves.” Different forms of sarcophagi dot the Vale of Tombs, some like pagodas, some like houses, and others just naked coffins, while a man is worshipping his ancestors in a traditional Chinese way. It is not hard to imagine how this scene must have attracted the artist because both the cemetery and the way of commemorating the dead were so different from what one could see in Europe. Upon the hilltop is the Tower of Thundering Winds, whose architectural form is characteristic of the Orient. The wild vines and the dilapidation of the Tower —which was said to have been standing there since the time of Confucius—act as a metaphor for time and history. Pictorially, the cemetery and old tower in the foreground form a contrast of past and present with the newer pagoda and boats in the background, reiterating how time passes by while nothing has changed much in this ancient empire. On the whole, the illustration creates a timeless, picturesque scene, reflecting the Western fascination with the Orient as a subject of aesthetic delectation. It is also worth mentioning that See-Hoo (West Lake) is located in Hangzhou, the most splendid and luxurious city in the world according to Marco Polo, whose description of the city was a source for the Western imagination of the Orient for centuries. Note that the pages of this volume are darker than those in the 1797 volume, indicating a higher acid content in the paper; it also has spots of fungus caused by changes in humidity.

Yang Hanzi

  19

5b. George Leonard Staunton，《英使謁見乾隆紀實》，第二版，文集兩冊，地圖與印

刷畫集一冊（倫敦：W. Bulmer and Co. for G. Nicol, 1798年），文集 28.1x 21.7 厘米，

第一冊共 518 頁，有銅版雕刻印刷畫 7 幅，第二冊共 626 頁，有銅版雕刻印刷畫 21

幅；地圖與印刷畫集 56.8 x 43.3厘米，共有單、雙頁銅版雕刻印刷畫 72幅；現代圖書

館布面重新裝訂，第一冊由 Rev. B. [Upevar] 於 1924年呈交給漢口俱樂部圖書館，第

二冊和地圖與印刷畫集於 1986年為 John Sheffield所收藏，之後由 R. R. Hynd於 1920

年呈交給漢口俱樂部圖書館；全套圖書於 1933年收齊，成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：《墓地谷遠眺西湖畔雷峰塔》，F. Landseer 與 T. Shirt 根據 William

Alexander 的原畫而製作，倫敦 G. Nicol 公司印刷，1796 年，銅版雕刻印刷畫，36 x

49.5厘米。 這幅精美的銅版雕刻印刷畫，反映了和記錄了西方人對中國的風景、建築、植物和

喪葬習俗的強烈興趣。畫面的兩邊都有一棵樹，畫家描繪其枝葉繁盛之狀頗費筆墨，

這展示了當時的西方人以科學的方法記錄異國植物的態度，例如“枝條下垂的側柏”，

“為歐洲人所不知，懸在許多墳墓之上”。各式各樣的石棺散落在山谷中，有的形似

塔，有的形似房子，其餘的則是樸素無雕飾的棺材，一個人正在以傳統的中國方式祭

奠他的祖先。不難想像，這樣的場景，對於歐洲的藝術家來講一定非常有吸引力，因

為無論是山野中的墓地，還是祭奠逝者的方式，都與歐洲大不相同。小丘頂上便是雷

峰塔，其造型有濃郁的東方特色。此塔據說自孔子時期就立於西子湖畔，而如今，以

已破敗的塔身和纏繞塔身的藤蔓，暗示著歷史的滄桑。就構圖而言，前景中傾圮的雷

峰塔和和荒涼的墓地，與背景中的新塔和湖面上的船只，形成了強烈的彼時與此時的

對比，再一次向觀者述說著時光荏苒，而這個古老的國家依然如故。總而觀之，這幅

印刷畫營造了一個永恆而美麗的圖景，反映了西方對東方之美的著迷。值得一提的

是，西湖所在地杭州，被馬可•波羅譽為世界上最美麗華貴的城市。他的這一敘述，激

發了歐洲幾個世紀以來對東方的想像和痴迷。請留意，這書第二版的紙張顏色，比

1797 年出版的紙張更深色；這表明此版紙張的酸度較高；真菌霉變則是由濕度變化所

致。

楊晗孜

  22

6. George Henry Mason, The Punishments of China, 2nd edition (London: William Millen, 1804), 37.4 x 25.5 cm., 54 pp., illustrated with 22 hand-colored stipple engravings, original binding in full goat leather, with modern repairs, formerly in the collection of [E.] A. Lloyd, B. M. Fox-Watkins, and the Hankow Club Library, acquired 1933. Exhibited: plate XVII, Hamstringing a Malefactor, by Dadley, printed by William Bulmer and Co., hand-colored stipple engraving, 25.3 x 35.2 cm.

This is the second edition of The Punishments of China, originally published in London in 1801. It was written in English and French, indicating the nationalities of its targeted readers, and features 22 forms of punishment, each illustrated with a colored engraving and accompanied by a brief commentary. With a preface on corporal punishment, the book attempts to objectively reveal China’s legal system from the point of view of punishment. Law and order is an important aspect in defining a country’s civilization, yet the book’s sole reliance on pictures does not make it a reliable source to understand China’s legal system. Other commentaries are not included to further explain the institution. The book has only focused on the perspective of punishment without considering the administration of justice. This leads the West to focus on the barbaric yet foreign side of China, and the book itself becomes an entry of exotic experience for its readers. The large book is designed in full leather with embossing and gilded pages, contrary to the subject of the book, further decreasing its tone of seriousness.

The illustration shown here is the seventeenth print, entitled “Hamstringing a Malefactor.” As with rest of the pictures, the absence of a background creates a neutral and objective documentary of the punishment. Large in size, the pictures become the only convincing way to understand China’s legal system, which is limited and biased. The portrayal of the figures is contrived in their westernized facial features and costume styles. The cluster of figures, whose facial expressions differ from one another, creates a dramatic scene. Distinctive Chinese facial features are distorted to look awkwardly comical, while the typical long plaits of the Chinese are turned into short, pig-tailed locks of hair. In this particular illustration, about cutting off the legs, both the form of punishment and its depicted gestures seem absurd and unnatural. The sense of China’s exoticness is portrayed in a barbaric yet silly fashion.

Winnie Tsang Hoi Yan

  23

6. George Henry Mason，《中國的刑罰》， 第二版, （倫敦: William Millen, 1804

年）， 37.4 x 25.5厘米，共 54頁, 有二十二幅手繪彩色銅版雕刻印刷畫, 原裝訂為全羊

皮封皮, 有現代修補, 前為[E]A. Lloyd, B.M.Fox-Watkins所藏, 後於 1933為大波樓圖書

館之藏書 展覽品：印版十七，《斷腳筋》，Dadley 製圖，Willam Bulmer and Co.公司印刷，手

繪彩色銅版雕刻印刷畫，25.3 x 35.2厘米。 此書乃《中國的刑罰》的第二版，第一版於 1801 在倫敦出版。書寫語言為英文與

法文，顯示了它的對象讀者的國藉。以中國二十二種刑罰為主題，每一種刑罰只以文

字與銅版雕刻印刷畫呈現出來。在此書的序言中，作者嘗試為中國的法治制度，以客

觀的角度展示出來。法治一直被視為國家文明進步的其中一個重要指標，但此書對圖

片的過份依賴，未能作為有效認識中國法治體制的切入面。書中餘下的解說部分，只

限於對刑罰過程的詮釋。除了對懲罰的簡單描述外，此書沒有以其他方面去詮釋中國

的法治體制；值得讓西方讀者注意的反而是，中國如此野蠻又奇特的一面，這是他們

探究中國的異國風采最好的起點。配以金屬凸字和金屬修飾頁邊的全封皮裝訂，除了

與刑罰這主題格格不入之外，也把此書附上了玩物的意味。

這插圖是書中第十七幅印刷畫，名為《斷腳筋》。和書的其他印刷畫一樣，此插圖

並沒有任何背景，力圖製造一個對中國刑罰既中立又客觀的探究。每一張插圖皆佔了

每頁最大的位置，即使插圖帶有偏見和誤導的成份，這些印刷畫，是唯一最能有力地

解釋中國法治體制的證據。人物的描繪以西方人的臉部特質為依歸，印刷畫裏，有一

群人做作而不真實，以不同的面部表情，製造了一個富戲劇性的效果。中國人特有的

特質都被扭曲, 例如最典型的清朝長辮子，都被畫成是短得像豬尾的一束頭髮。從這

《斷腳筋》的印刷畫，可更清楚看到刑罰的形式，其繪畫的姿勢，變得荒謬又奇怪。

中國的異國風釆，只能以野蠻和無聊的姿態呈現出來。

曾凱欣

  24

7. William Alexander, The Costume of China, Illustrated in Forty-Eight Coloured Engravings, 1st edition (London: William Miller, 1805), 33 x 26 cm., 100 pp. plus 48 inserted prints, illustrated with 48 hand-coloured aquatints, modern rebinding with original full leather glued on, formerly in the collections of Thomas Hutton, Sir Paul Chater, and Sir Cecil Clementi, acquired 1927, “returned from Japan 1948.” Exhibited: plate 5, A Chinese Soldier of Infantry (or Tiger of War), by William Alexander, printed by G. Nicol, London, 1797, hand-coloured aquatint, 25 x 32 cm.

William Alexander was a draughtsman for the British embassy that Lord Macartney led to China in 1792. Despite the unsuccessful mission, Alexander and other members of the embassy were able to capitalize on the journey and published some books upon their return. Alexander’s earliest prints in The Costume of China first appeared as illustrations in Sir George Staunton’s detailed 1797 account of the embassy trip. More prints were issued in suites, then published finally as a bound volume with the artist’s commentary in 1805. The book appears to have enjoyed wide circulation as a French edition was published in 1825. Alexander’s work influenced many traveler-artists, who often adapted or recycled motifs from his prints. One very important influence is found in the Royal Pavilion at Brighton, redecorated in 1815-23, where some wall paintings of figures and architectural elements were taken from Alexander’s book at a time when interest in Chinese objects was at its height.

This illustration shows a Chinese infantry soldier wearing a tiger-like uniform against a backdrop of a military post. It is a highly composed picture with a snapshot quality that gives a glimpse of how a Chinese soldier and military facility looked. Unlike generally loose Chinese dress, tight-fitting clothing enabled flexible movement. Little is known about this kind of uniform, but it is not necessarily from the artist’s imagination, as similar uniforms are found in other drawings. The soldier is armed with a sword and a shield of wicker painted with an imaginary monster, and Alexander expresses serious doubts about whether such primitive equipment suits the needs of modern warfare. There are numerous illustrations in the book featuring costumes of soldiers in other ranks where the artist repeatedly casts doubt on soldiers’ ability to defend themselves. Alexander’s acute criticism correctly pinpointed the cause of China’s subsequent defeat in the Opium Wars in 1842 and 1860. A mirror image of the soldier is visible on the text page, caused by bleeding of the acidic printing ink.

Katrina Leung Ka Man

  25

7. 威廉·亞歷山大，《中國的服飾圖鑒》，第一版，（倫敦：William Miller，1805

年），33 x 26 厘米，共 100 頁，有 48 幅手繪彩色凹版蝕鏤印刷畫，原裝皮革作現代

重新裝訂，曾分別為 Thomas Hutton、遮打爵士及前港督金文泰所收藏，1927 年捐贈

予香港大學圖書館，「於 1948年自日本歸還」。

展覽品：《一個中國步兵（或「戰之虎」）》，第五幅，威廉·亞歷山大繪畫，G.

Nicol印，倫敦，1797年，手繪彩色凹版蝕鏤印刷畫，25 x 32 厘米。 威廉·亞歷山大是馬卡尼爵士在 1792 年，第一次代表英國率團訪華時隨行的繪圖

員，負責把旅程的經歷用畫筆記錄在案。因禮節問題，使團希望中國改善通商條件的

要求，遭乾隆嚴加拒絕。使團雖無功而回，但亞歷山大及其他使團成員，則因為異國

旅程，帶來了豐富的寫作題材，而出版了好幾本書。早於 1797年，亞歷山大在《中國

的服飾圖鑒》一書中的部分畫作，已於另一使團成員喬治·斯當頓的著述中作過插圖

印刷畫。其後，有更多亞歷山大的畫作，被編成數幅為一組，陸續被發表，至 1805

年，亞歷山大的畫作附上他自己的評論結集成本書。本書曾經頗受歡迎，後更翻譯成

法文於 1825 年面世。“中國風”於當時的歐洲盛極一時，亞歷山大這批以中國為題材的

畫作，成了很多旅行畫家的模仿對象。即使是英國布萊頓的皇家行宮，都受亞歷山大

的影響─宮內的牆上，也用了亞歷山大書中的人物及建築物圖案作裝飾。

從這印刷畫中，可見一個身穿虎形制服的中國步兵，站立於軍事哨站前。亞歷山大

總是費盡心思，描繪人物及其背景建築物，好讓自己國家的觀眾，也能一睹異國的風

土人情。有別於傳統中國闊袍大袖的穿著，貼身的裝束使士兵在戰場上能活動自如。

對於虎衣的來歷，我們知之甚少。雖然當時的畫家，畫異國題材時大都不盡不實，但

由於從其他有限的畫作中，亦發現類似的制服，所以奇特的虎衣裝束也不一定是杜

撰。兵士一手握長刀，一手拿著畫有神獸的籐製盾牌，好不威風。然而，亞歷山大對

此不以為然，並認為這樣的裝備，唬嚇大於實際作用，根本不能應付現代軍事需要。

書中亦繪有其他軍階將領的服飾，亞歷山大都毫不保留地提出同樣的批評。不幸的

是，亞歷山大的尖銳批評，亦正正道出了，後來中國在兩次鴉片戰爭的戰敗原因。此

外，由於印刷畫酸性的油墨過多地溢出，士兵的影像，清晰地印在鄰頁的文字上，產

生了士兵的鏡像印痕。

梁嘉雯

  26

No. 7

  27

No. 8

  28

8. Thomas Henry Sealy, The Porcelain Tower: or, Nine Stories of China, Compiled from Original Sources by “T.T.T.”, 1st edition (London: Richard Bentley, 1841), 20.8 x 12.7 cm., 299 pp., illustrated with 18 wood engravings, original embossed binding in full goat leather with modern repairs, acquired 1965. Exhibited: p. 217, Chinese true lovers’ knot, by T. Cilks, based on a drawing by J. Leech, wood engraving, 6.0 x 7.5 cm.

The Porcelain Tower was published in London in 1841 and republished as Chinese Legends in 1848. It contains nine stories which the author claims were collected from several sources in China, though no specific sources are revealed. The book was directed at anybody who was interested in tales of China and perhaps a general understanding of Chinese culture. Though the original sources were Chinese, they have been translated into English, thus certain interpretations of the stories may have been altered. Showing a distorted view of China’s people and culture, this British adaptation indicates the West’s still shallow understanding. The story illustrated here is about two men who fight for a pretty girl’s hand in marriage, and although the story aims for a humorous effect, written in rhyme, it contains certain serious elements such as the use of opium and the harsh punishments of Chinese law. This shows a likely effect from the first Opium War, which was going on when the book was published.

The illustration chosen portrays two lovers whose hair is tied together to symbolise their fated love for one another. Like other illustrations in the book, it depicts the story being told, adding a sense of comedy and entertainment. However, the entertainment embodies a hidden condescending message, making Chinese people appear inferior. For example, illustrations throughout the book depict men (whether good or evil) as fat, with a sly expression. The text illustrated here makes fun of the man’s queues and the woman’s bound feet and eyes “like cockatoo’s.” At the same time, many characters’ features are more ‘western’ than ‘Chinese’, an act of visual assimilation of the two different cultures that suggests the West’s assertion of power over China through images.

Rachel Suen Ka Lee

  29

8. Thomas Henry Sealy，《陶瓷塔》或《九個中國的故事：由“T.T.T.”的原材料結集而

成》，第一版，（倫敦：Richard Bentley，1841年），20.8 x 12.7厘米，共 299頁，有

木刻印刷畫（版畫）18 幅，原裝浮雕裝飾及全羊皮封皮，有現代修補，1965 年成為香

港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：《中國情人的所知》，T. Cilks根據 J. Leech的繪圖而畫，6.0 x 7.5厘米。 《陶瓷塔》於 1841年在倫敦出版，後以《中國傳奇》為書名於 1848年再版。作者

宣稱，書中的九個故事是由中國搜集而來；但是他並沒有交代故事的具體出處。這本

書意在吸引對中國故事或對中國文化有興趣的讀者，書內的中國故事被翻譯成英文，

所以故事的內容難免有很多改動和出入。這些改動展示出西方人看中國和中國文化的

扭曲角度，及他們對中國的膚淺認識。展覽品中的故事，描述兩個男人爭奪一個美女

作為自己的妻子。雖然故事的創作手法有幽默感又押韻，但是內容含有一些嚴肅的題

材；例如有關鴉片和刑罰的社會及法律問題，反映出當本書出版時的歷史狀況，正是

第一次鴉片戰爭時期。

展出的木刻印刷畫，描繪了兩個戀人，將自己和對方的頭髮綁在一起，來象徵他們

情比金堅的關係。就像書裡其他的印刷畫一樣，在講故事的同時加入了喜劇和娛樂的

元素。但是它們也展示了中國人卑劣的一面；例如書裡的印刷畫，描繪了很多又肥又

醜的中國人（忠的或奸的）。文字中也有很多取笑中國男人和女人外貌的地方。另一

方面，西化了的中國人和物，表現了西方人在視覺上，將自己的文化強加入中國的文

化裡。

文：孫嘉利

譯：郭燕寧

  30

9. Thomas Allom and The Rev. G. N. Wright, China, in a Series of Views, Displaying the Scenery, Architecture, and Social Habits, of That Ancient Empire, 1st edition, 4 volumes bound in 2 (London: Peter Jackson, Late Fisher, Son, and Co., 1843), 28.0 x 21.2 cm., 96, 72, 68, and 52 pp. plus inserted prints, illustrated with 32 engravings in each volume, 19th-century binding in quarter cow leather by Goulden, Canterbury, with modern repairs, formerly in the collection of the Canterbury Public Library, acquired 1951. Exhibited: vol. 1, p. 49, Temple of the Bonzes in the Quang Yen Rock, by C. T. Dixon, based on a drawing by Thomas Allom, printed by Fisher, Son, and Co., London, engraving, 12.4 x 19.1 cm. (image).

Allom and Wright’s multi-volume book appeared immediately after the First Opium War, responding to intense curiosity about the country that England had just put down but also opened up to international trade. With 128 prints based on extensive first-hand experience by Allom and other contributors, it was the biggest collection of China images since Staunton’s encyclopedic tome (from which Allom copied and adapted numerous images). Each picture is accompanied by a detailed textual explanation by Wright. Without following any logical sequence, these vignettes cover an unprecedented variety of themes and locations, including architecture and landscape; economic activities like the production of tea, silk, cotton, and coal; cultural activities such as opera, puppetry, kites, and weddings; and festivals, temples, tombs, and ancestor worship. Some scenes show British encampments and battles, but always set in a pretty landscape attracting special historical or cultural interest. The book is generally admiring, casting China’s exotic civilization in a picturesque fashion reminiscent of the 18th century.

Temple of the Bonzes, in volume one, combines several motifs that recur throughout the book, especially religion, fantastic mountains, boats and navigation, and exotic birds. The text, however, focuses almost entirely on the distant Buddhist monastery built into the limestone cliff along the Beijiang river in Guangdong Province. Wright and Allom first quote Staunton’s account of the same site, describing a dangerous, terrifying ascent and a fearsome military Buddha statue. They counter that the site is in fact easy to visit and the Buddha statue quite peaceful. Like Staunton, they express disdain for the monks for begging and being superstitious, but they explain how these monks and their monastery are exactly like certain Christian mendicant monks and rocky monasteries, which they collectively condemn as “dismal and degrading retreats of intellectual beings.” (p. 52) None of this moral evaluation is evident in the picture itself, which emphasizes the peaceful, exotic beauty of the cliffs and the four kinds of boats.

Dr. Greg M. Thomas

  31

9. Thomas Allom and The Rev. G. N. Wright，《從多角度看中國：展現一個古老帝國

的風景、建築及社會風俗》，第一版，共四冊作兩冊裝訂，（倫敦：Peter Jackson,

Late Fisher, Son, and Co., 1843年），28.0 x 21.2厘米，一至四冊各有 96頁、72頁、68

頁及 52 頁，再加印刷畫多頁，每冊各有銅版雕刻印刷畫 32 幅，十九世紀裝訂為 1/4

牛皮封皮，有 Goulden和 Canterbury的修補，前為 Canterbury公立圖書館藏，1951年

成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：第一冊，第 49 頁，《僧侶的廟宇在 Qung Yen 石》，C. T. Dixon 根據

Thomas Allom的原畫而製作，倫敦 Fisher, Son, and Co.公司印刷，銅版雕刻印刷畫，

12.4 x 19.1 厘米。 這本 Allom 和 Wright 的一書多冊著作，緊接在第一次鴉片戰爭後出版。這本書的

出現是回應，在鴉片戰爭後，歐洲人對中國產生的強烈好奇心，想知道這個國家一方

面被英國打敗，另一方面開放了國際間的貿易。全書裡的 128 印刷畫幅，是根據

Allom和其他人的親身經驗。自從 Staunton的一本量如百科全書的著作出版後，Allom

和 Wright 的書，成為了一本展示最多中國圖像的圖書。很多 Allom 和 Wright 的圖

像，也是抄襲和改編白 Staunton 書中的圖像。每一幅 Allom 和 Wright 的圖像，都附

上Wirght所寫的詳細說明。雖然他們的圖像並沒有經過有邏輯的整理，他們的圖像盛

載了空前多的影像種類和拍攝地點；當中包括建築、風景、經濟活動（如製茶、製

棉、製煤、製絲綢）、文化活動（如戲曲、木偶、風箏、婚嫁）、慶典節日、廟宇宗

祠、陵山墓穴、祭祠祖先等。有些圖像展現了英軍營地和戰場，但都發生在美麗的風

景裡，這樣可吸引对其历史文化的兴趣。整體而言，Allom和 Wright 的著作，是一本

令人欽佩的書。以“如詩美景”（picturesque）的美學風格，將中國展現出來，也對十八

世紀懷舊一翻。

《僧侶的廟宇》在第一冊全卷裡，將一些重複被使用的圖案整合在一起。特別是一

些宗教、船隻、航海、異鳥和幻想像山脈的圖案。文字方面卻偏重於描述，一座建於

石灰岩壁裡的佛廟，這座佛廟位於廣東省北江沿岸。Allom和 Wright 一開始提及這座

佛廟時便引用 Staunton 的描述。Staunton 說這座佛廟是一個可怕和危險的地方，那佛

像更是令人驚怕。其實，他們描述的地方並不危險，反而是一處容易到達的旅遊地；

而且那佛像也令人覺得很平靜。Allom和 Wright與 Staunton一方面很鄙視那些行乞和

迷信的僧侶，另一方面卻將佛教僧侶和佛廟與基督教苦行僧侶和石造的教堂相提並

論。他們都覺得，“苦行僧修行的地方，都是給那些避世軟弱但有高度智力的人”（52

頁） 。他們對苦行僧的道德批判，沒有在圖片裡加以證明；他們的圖片反而強調了一

個異國美麗和幽靜的峭壁和四種不同的船隻。

文：陶格博士 香港大學藝術系

譯：郭燕寧

  34

Exhibited: vol. 3, p. 25, Dyeing and Winding Silk, by G. Paterson, based on a drawing by Thomas Allom, printed by Fisher, Son, and Co., London, engraving, 12.8 x 19.0 cm. (image).

This is one of numerous images examining Chinese manufacturing techniques. Europeans had long coveted Chinese silk, porcelain, and tea as luxury goods, and this image shows how silk was “reeled” (in the background), washed, and dyed (in the foreground). While certain architectural details appear inaccurate, Allom has clearly tried to describe the buildings, technology, and people realistically. Facial features are still simplified and slightly distorted, but Allom poses the bodies realistically and shows the figures in productive labor, with actions emphasizing their technical skill; there is little suggestion of Chinese inferiority. The semi-moralizing text, on the other hand, claims many silk makers are sloppy and sometimes deceitful. It also describes the preparation process in detail, noting that silk production in China is mostly a cottage industry, effective in using female labor. Drawing a complimentary comparison to ancient Greece, the authors claim China looks down on trade in general, and they say Western imperialism is gradually opening China, whose good products will soon benefit the rest of the world.

Dr. Greg M. Thomas 展覽品：第三冊，第 25 頁，《蚕丝染色绕卷》， G. Paterson 根據 Thomas Allom的

原畫而製作，倫敦 Fisher, Son, and Co.公司印刷，銅版雕刻印刷畫，12.8 x 19.0 厘米。 此圖是展出中國製造技術的眾多畫面中的一幅。歐洲人一直把中國絲綢、陶瓷、茶葉

看作奢侈品，此圖描述如何繞絲、洗絲、和染絲。雖然建築物的一些細節不盡準確，

但畫者用寫實方法塑造人物，表現其生產勞動，強調其動作的技術性，幾乎不帶任何

對中國人的歧視。但同時，文字描寫卻作中道德評論，指製絲工人往往工不求精而且

有時作手腳欺騙買家。文字繼而詳細描述製絲的過程，並指出製絲為家庭手工業，以

用婦女勞力為主。與古希臘對比，中國輕視商業；而西方帝國主義逐漸打開中國大

門，不久全世界都可以享用中國的產品了。

  36

10. John Thomson, Illustrations of China and its People. A Series of Two Hundred Photographs, with Letterpress Descriptive of the Places and People Represented, 1st edition, 4 volumes (London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1873-1874), 48.1 x 35.8 cm., unpaginated, illustrated with 200 photographs, original binding in full goat leather with beveled edges and gilt embossing, formerly in the collection of the Hankow Club Library, 1920, acquired 1933. Exhibited: vol. 2, plate 14, figure 39, The Small Foot of a Chinese Lady, by John Thomson, printed by Whittingham and Wilkins, Chiswick Press, London, photogravure, 11.4 x 12.8 cm.

Illustrations of China and its People was the result of the Scottish photographer John Thomson’s five-year journey in China (1868-1872). This book testifies to Westerners’, and especially British people’s, free access to China following the end of the second Opium War in 1860. Being one of the very first travel books with photographs in the world, it gives extra naturalism to the Chinese world represented while signifying the technical advancement of its time: being able to produce multiple, high-definition, and durable photographs. The book is an extraordinarily rich archive of China due to the territorial expanse and varied social types and ethnic groups represented, certifying not only a shift of view from the essentialized China suggested by earlier Western authors, but also Thomson’s pioneering position in documentary photography and Britain’s authority on China due to their knowledge and ability to represent.

Demonstrating Thomson's signature style of capturing ordinary people in everyday settings, this page from volume two shows Amoy people engaged in casual acts, such as sitting, standing, and talking. Yet one image stands out from the other three. Regarded by Thomson as one of the most interesting photographs in his collection, The Small Foot of a Chinese Lady on the upper right provides Western audiences with a new spectacle: a compressed foot, the result of the foot-binding tradition. This custom was banned after the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1911, almost forty years after this image was taken. In Thomson’s day, tiny feet were still popular and seen by natives as a sign of fashionable feminine attractiveness. He expresses a rather neutral awareness of cultural variation through a comparison between the bare, terrifyingly deformed foot of a Chinese lady and a normal foot on the table. A plain tablecloth frames the two distinct feet, forcing audiences to encounter their difference at one time, and therefore stressing the exoticism of bound feet, a subject that fascinated Western visitors to China. Furthermore, the lady stares directly at the camera, without a specific facial expression. Her calmness inevitably contrasts with the expected dramatic reaction of 19th century Western audiences, thus heightening the sense of cultural division.

Chan Wing-wa

  37

10. John Thomson, 《中國和中國人民圖鑑：二百張相片攝影集，附文字解說》，第一

版，共四冊（倫敦：Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1873-1874 年），48.1 x

35.8 厘米， 無標頁，有二百張相片圖版，原裝訂為全羊皮封皮，書棱成斜角，鍍金浮

雕裝飾，1920始為 Hankow Club Library藏書，1933成為香港大學圖書館藏書。 展覽品：第二冊，圖版十四，圖三十九，《纏足中國女子》，John Thomson攝，

Whittingham and Wilkins印刷，Chiswick Press，倫敦，凹版照相，11.4 x 12.8 厘米。 《中國和中國人民圖鑑》是蘇格蘭籍攝影師 John Thomson在中國旅遊五年（1868-

1872）後的攝影集。這本書的出版，標示了第二次鴉片戰爭在1860年結束後的歷史現

象—西方人，尤其是英國人，有自由進出中國的特權。此書是世界首批以相片記錄旅

遊見聞的書籍之一。一書四冊二百張的相片，不但向讀者展示較逼真的中國，而且象

徵了當時的科技發達，以至能製造可多次沖印的底片和高解析度及耐用的相片。這本

攝影集，更成為讀者了解中國的重要資料庫。因為它內容豐富，不像其他西方作者對

中國文化的泛泛之談。再加上它記錄了更多更深入的中國地域、社會類型及少數民族

的面貌，令這本書確立了Thomson在記錄式攝影的領導地位，及樹立了英國在詮釋中

國的權威位置。

這一組選自第二冊的相片，記錄了厦門人的日常活動。相片中，捕捉了很多細碎生

活的片段，表現了Thomson的獨特風格，在於拍攝平凡人活在平凡的生活裡。簡單如

站立、坐下和交談，都成為他鏡頭下有價值的趣事。頁面右上角的一張《纏足女子

圖》，是眾相片中最突出的一張。相片捕捉了一個中國獨有的奇觀：廣喻為「三寸金

蓮」的女子小足; 這奇觀也是眾多西方人慕名前往中國的原因。纏足的傳統，在1911年

清朝末落之後才被禁，故在Thomson拍攝的時候，纏足仍風行，並被視為女性吸引力

的象徵。攝影師透過對比解下纏布的變形小足和一隻正常的女子足，表現了他對兩國

文化差異的理性認知。純白的桌布塑造了更清晰的視覺焦點，突出兩足不同的生理結

構和形態，襯托出中國女子纏足的奇異色彩。再者，圖中女子直視鏡頭，沒有特別面

部表情。她的冷靜剛好與十九世紀，西方讀者的激動情緒產生強烈對比。這巧妙的對

照，進一步突顯中西文化的差異。

陳穎華

  38

Exhibited: vol. 3, plate 14, figure 25, Street Groups, Kiu-kiang, by John Thomson, printed by Whittingham and Wilkins, Chiswick Press, London, photogravure, 23.3 x 29.9 cm.

This photograph from volume three in a chapter on Kiu-Kiang (Jiu Jiang) best captures Thomson’s particular interest in ordinary street people. Kiu-kiang, a city along the Yangtze River, became a treaty port in 1861, after the Second Opium War. It was a center of foreign commercial development, based upon the exploitation of cheap local labour. Instead of illustrating such unequal economic and political relations, this photograph, by situating native workers in their authoritative environment outdoors and showing them at work demonstrating handicrafts generated from self-cultivation or family tradition, gives dignity to their occupations and personal histories, which were rarely seen in previous western representations. Figures lined up in a composed zigzag pattern across the horizontal plane are backed by an almost blank wall, guiding western audiences to look precisely at each of the native lives as a valuable entity. Though dignified, this image inevitably represents the gaze of a Western gentleman upon the Chinese poor, suggesting the privileged position of the Westerner to uncover hidden truths of the little-known East.

Note that the paper between photographs is dark and brittle, due to a high content of acidic tree pulp; the photographs, on the other hand, are printed on thick cotton paper with a glossy finish to better hold the printing ink.

Chan Wing Wa 展覽品：第三冊，第十四底片，插圖二十五 ., 九江小販， John Thomson 攝，

Whittingham and Wilkins印刷，Chiswick Press，倫敦，凹版照相，23.3 x 29.9 厘米。 這張選自第三冊中九江章節的相片，充分表現了 Thomson 以平民百姓作拍攝對象

的特別喜好。九江位於長江沿岸，第二次鴉片戰爭後於 1861年成為開放通商的口岸。

此後發展成為外國商業中心，而九江的發展大以本地廉價勞工支持。這相片彷彿刻意

忽略當時的不平等經濟及政治狀況，反以另一角度捕捉街頭小販的尊嚴。相片拍攝本

地工人謹守他們在街頭巷尾的工作岡位。他們的流動小舖雖然簡陋，卻展現出來自個

人修養或家族承傳的手藝。他們的敬業樂業是相片的焦點，這種對平民致敬的拍攝角

度，是在從前西方對中國的詮釋中罕見的。圖中人物以之形排列橫跨整張相片，並以

白牆作背景，這構圖令觀賞者的目光，不由自主地留駐在每個小販的身上。另一方

面，雖然這相片的視覺效果表現出對中國平民的尊敬，整個拍攝過程仍難免呈現西方

人的文化優越感，因這相片正正是西方有識之人觀察中國貧窮百姓的產物。

注意：相片間的紙張在製作時混入高濃度的酸性木漿，經歷年月後呈暗及易碎；相

片所在的紙張製作則有別。這些在製作時混入厚綿，紙張完成後再加工令其表面有亮

澤，容易上墨。

陳穎華