Christianity in Chinese culture
Background
Christianity within China was present as early as the sixteenth century when Jesuit missionaries were in different regions of China to preach to communities. Its influence led to the creation of Chinese-Jesuit arts, historical movements, and a mixture of cultural traditions. Berthold Laufer, an anthropologist, recognized the importance of Chinese culture and was fascinated to learn about Christianity within it. He collected various pieces of art, literature, and other fine artifacts.
Jesuit missionaries were also scientists such as astronomers as well as artists who incorporated Chinese culture and Jesuit figures in their work. During the Jacob H. Schiff Expedition to China between 1901 and1904 for the American Museum of Natural History, Laufer came across many pieces of art that portrayed Christianity in Chinese culture. Various examples of Jesuit art are in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City (Harris, 42, 1911).
There are about twenty-two paintings and engravings, with additional black and white illustrations in Laufer’s 1911 book Christian Art in China. Most of them were made by Jesuit missionaries and passed down among Chinese families. Between 1909 and 1910, during the Mrs. Timothy B. Blackstone Expedition for the Field Museum, he discovered an image in Xian (Singan-Fu) most likely painted by a Jesuit artist. The Chinese painting, “ The Madonna Scroll with Child” is a famous piece. Laufer wrote extensively about these paintings, drawings, poems, history, and other valuable records (Harris, 43, 1911).
Important Jesuit Priests and Missionaries
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, China was experiencing a new movement of artistic teachings from European Jesuit priests, artists, and missionaries. Christian-Chinese texts were printed under the control of Jesuit missionaries in China. However, the relationship between European missionaries, artists, merchants, and Chinese scholars was difficult when they arrived. As the Ming Dynasty reached its end, the Imperial government allowed European traders and missionaries to the little port of Macao. The Portuguese leased the area in 1557 for trading purposes. The Chinese did not accept foreigners and their policy was to exclude them from their communities. It took a long time for Jesuits to be welcomed into the mainland of China (McCall, 45-46, 1948).
As time progressed, Chinese emperors were fascinated by and collected fine objects, paintings, rubbings, porcelains, and other commodities. Jesuit missionaries in China were able to benefit from local productions of Christian images. It allowed Jesuit priests to use the objects in the teachings of Christianity with some Chinese residents joining their churches.
Laufer collected for the Field Museum many other rubbings of tombstones of Jesuit priests and missionaries in China.
Matteo Ricci (1551-1610)
Matteo Ricci (1551-1610), a famous Jesuit missionary, reached the Imperial Court at Beijing (Peking) by 1601. The Emperor of the Wan-li period allowed Ricci to establish a chapel and mission in the city. He learned to speak Chinese and adapt to the culture of the country. As he began to familiarize himself with various communities, Chinese residents were able to learn about Christian preachings. The consumption of goods that depicted Christianity began to increase rapidly.
The Field Museum Tombstone Rubbing Description:
Matteo Ricci was an Italian Jesuit priest, who came to China with the Mission by sea in 1582 (Ming Dynasty period). He arrived in Beijing (Peking) in 1600 and died in 1610 at the age of 59. The title on his tombstone tablet states “tombstone of the Honorable Li, a Jesuit priest” in Chinese characters. His headstone shows a Christian cross and the text written on it is in Chinese on the right side. On the left side, it shows Latin texts, indicating that it is the tomb of Rev. Matteo Ricci (A.D. 1552-1610). His name in Chinese was Li Ma-tou.
Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591-1666)
Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a German Jesuit and astronomer throughout his time in China. He became part of the Jesuit community around 1611 and entered China seven years later. In 1630, Adam Schall was an astronomer in Beijing and was in the profession during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) (Boston College, 2021). He became an important advisor for the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. Interestingly, Johann Adam Schall von Bell created his fincheng shuxiang (“Images in a Booklet Presented to His Majesty”). It was a woodcut book created in 1640 that has about 48 illustrations that included Jesuit figures (Standaert, 235, 2006). Some of the artwork was presented to the Emperor at the time.
The Field Museum Tombstone Rubbing Description:
Adam Schall von Bell tombstone has inscriptions in both Chinese and Latin. He came to China as a missionary in the 4th year of Tien-ch’ih, Ming Dynasty (1624). From 1630 to 1645, he participated as an astronomer in the work of the reform of the Chinese calendar, and obtained a high position from Emperor Shunzhi (Shun-chih). He died in 1665 at the age of 75.