"Chinese antiquities at ROM under renewed scrutiny," published in the Globe and Mail on Saturday January 19 looks to the recently released book: "Cross Culture and Faith" written by Linfu Dong and published by the University of Toronto Press. It traces the story of the Chinese antiquities that were "secretly spirited out of China by a Canadian missionary" and further states that it "provoked mounting resentment in China, where many people are angry that foreign museums amassed fabulous collections by scooping up vast amounts of ancient Chinese treasure when the country was weakened by civil wars in the 1920s and 1930s."The story of museums collecting international materials is a greatly contested issue with repatriation being considered at the forefront. Although the article explains that the Chinese government is not asking for the materials back, there has been a recent uproar among special interest groups to have these antiquities returned to their homeland.
The Globe and Mail has chosen to focus on the unethical manner in which the collection was formed. There are still other sides to this story that should be considered. Regardless of what, how or why these artifacts ended up at the ROM, the artifacts still have a history of their own and different perspectives should be acknowledged.
The first, which probably doesn't need to be explained in too much detail is that of the society in which the antiquities were removed from. It is clear that the loss can be deeply distressing as artifacts are part of China's history and were crafted by their society. Getting materials back where they can be managed and studied by the descendants of the makers can be a rewarding cultural experience which supports China's rich history.
Another side which should not to be forgotten is that of the ROM. This museum provides extensive information on it's collection and for many visitors interested in Asian history in Canada, access to a collection that has been well taken care of and researched since it was acquired in the 1930s is of great value. A 2001 study by Stats Canada "Chinese Canadians: Enriching the Cultural Mosaic" by Chu, Tran and Flanders has shown that Chinese Canadians make up the largest minority group in Canada with most residing in the Toronto and Vancouver areas. It might be worth asking Chinese Canadians if they would like to have more input in the future of this collection, afterall, this collection is a link to their homeland too.
Although it was highlighted in the article that some of the artifacts were "smuggled" out of China, history does work in mysterious ways, and the odds of these antiquities being destroyed during the Chinese civil war was possible. Sometimes, looking back, although decisions were made for reasons we might not presently agree with, they end up protecting important treasures that could have been lost forever. Maybe continuing to look ahead at the continued preservation of these materials is what is most important.
So, it is possible to see, that during a time when many are looking to museums and asking them: May I please have my history back? there are tough decisions to be made. But artifacts, like the museums that house them, do not have a static history. Museums are looking at new ways to connect their artifact collections to those who they originated with (and putting a great deal of funding into this area I might add). Digital repatriation projects are being used in countries like Australia and New Zealand, setting new standards for connecting indigenous societies to their material history. As well, the USA and Canada are offering exhibitions in collaboration with different cultural groups, offering them support to present their history. This leaves me to conclude with the other big question... are these efforts enough?
