Westerners Inspecting a Vase at the Chinese Exhibit

Westerners Inspecting a Vase at the Chinese Exhibit

This print is from Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Historical Register of the Centennial Exposition. It shows a variety of westerners being presented with various vases by Chinese vendors at the exhibition. Interestingly, the graphical center of the print is the group of westerners, most prominently the woman in the wheelchair. The group of Chinese are shunted to the side, their eyes downcast as opposed to the westerners—especially the ones not actively examining wares. The central, presumably american, woman presented an interesting case in that she is disabled. This seems odd until we consider the other thematic components of the exhibition, namely the technological prowess that American was attempting to demonstrate. We could read this print instead of as a meeting of peoples, but as the demonstration of the two different modes of production, artistic and industrial. The technical ability instilled in the wheelchair allows the American people to be superior, central in this relationship, still able to look at vases simply out of discretion. On the other hand, the Chinese hand vases, even to those in wheelchairs, subserviently.

Added by Ben Kaplow

Unknown (Published in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Historical Register of the Centennial Exposition)

Boston College, Prof. Howe.

1876

http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/fnart/fa267/1876/1876_vase.jpg