The Understanding and Writing of Chinese Furniture by European Missionaries in the 16th - 18th Century

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To explore the understanding of Chinese furniture by European missionaries in the 16th century to the 18th century and the image of China constructed for the intended readers, and to examine the interaction and competition between Chinese and Western cultures in this time span. Methods Text analysis method was used to systematically sort out the appearance of Chinese furniture in the historical materials of missionaries, and then insight the meaning behind the text and the author's writing meaning. Results The Chinese furniture described by the missionaries can be summarized into three dimensions: material economy, national politics and ceremonial culture. Missionaries construct the image of Chinese furniture and establish evaluation criteria based on individual, group and national egoistic motives. On the one hand, they integrate the traditional values of their own country and China to attract readers' interest and reduce the psychology of rejection. On the other hand, they emphasize the mechanism of communication and dialogue between European and Chinese traditional cultures, and finally achieve the purpose of strengthening oneself.