Seminar I: Alain ARRAULT
26 MARCH 24
NCCU-EFEO Talk
Speaker:
Prof. Alain ARRAULT
French School of Asian Studies (EFEO)
Title:
Inside Chinese Statues in China or Chinese Society as Seen from Below
Date:
Monday, April 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Venue:
Room 106, Bai Nian Building, National Chengchi University
No. 17, Ln. 112, Sec. 2, Xiuming Road, Wenshan Dist., Taipei
Abstract:
Compared to Korea and Japan, studies on the interior of statues are rare in China and cannot be compared in terms of quality and of quantity to the Korean and Japanese investigations. However, a research program conducted over several years has made it possible to methodically investigate statues from the Hunan province. Strictly speaking, these objects are not Buddhist or Taoist statues such as the ones kept at large temples, but, rather, statuettes placed on domestic altars. The "belly" (fuzang 腹臟) of the statues contains certificates of consecration mentioning the exact provenance of the work, the names of donors, of the sculptor, of the statuette itself, and the date of its consecration. To this day detailed data concerning 3000 statuettes both from private and public collections has been collected and digitized. These small objects—about twenty to thirty centimeters—, contain written documents that provide us with authentic civil status records and make it possible to retrace the history of this popular cult practice over a long period of time, i.e., from the seventeenth to the first half of the twentieth century. Documents—consecration certificates—preserved inside statuettes can be addressed to great divinities of the Chinese pantheon, local deities, ancestors— both close and distant—and spiritual masters belonging to a specific lineage or directly to current masters. Thus, an examination of these singular documents inserted in ‘viscera’ of statuettes tell us another story about religious practices in Chinese society as seen from below or, literally, ‘an insider’s view’.
The talk will be given in Chinese. Registration is not required.
lecture
Speaker:
Prof. Alain ARRAULT
French School of Asian Studies (EFEO)
Title:
Inside Chinese Statues in China or Chinese Society as Seen from Below
Date:
Monday, April 8, 2024 at 2:00 pm
Venue:
Room 106, Bai Nian Building, National Chengchi University
No. 17, Ln. 112, Sec. 2, Xiuming Road, Wenshan Dist., Taipei
Abstract:
Compared to Korea and Japan, studies on the interior of statues are rare in China and cannot be compared in terms of quality and of quantity to the Korean and Japanese investigations. However, a research program conducted over several years has made it possible to methodically investigate statues from the Hunan province. Strictly speaking, these objects are not Buddhist or Taoist statues such as the ones kept at large temples, but, rather, statuettes placed on domestic altars. The "belly" (fuzang 腹臟) of the statues contains certificates of consecration mentioning the exact provenance of the work, the names of donors, of the sculptor, of the statuette itself, and the date of its consecration. To this day detailed data concerning 3000 statuettes both from private and public collections has been collected and digitized. These small objects—about twenty to thirty centimeters—, contain written documents that provide us with authentic civil status records and make it possible to retrace the history of this popular cult practice over a long period of time, i.e., from the seventeenth to the first half of the twentieth century. Documents—consecration certificates—preserved inside statuettes can be addressed to great divinities of the Chinese pantheon, local deities, ancestors— both close and distant—and spiritual masters belonging to a specific lineage or directly to current masters. Thus, an examination of these singular documents inserted in ‘viscera’ of statuettes tell us another story about religious practices in Chinese society as seen from below or, literally, ‘an insider’s view’.
The talk will be given in Chinese. Registration is not required.
lecture