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The mind’s eye: Meaning-making of Chinese ceramic

BY Wing Yan Vivian, TING

Making meanings of a Chinese vase

A white porcelain vase, made during the 10th to 12th centuries, is

usually overlooked by museum visitors or perceived to be something that

is dull and technically modest. Nevertheless, its simple yet well-

proportioned form and restrained design is a ‘perfect and indivisible unity’,

demonstrating ‘skilful potting without loss of virility’, according to the pre-

eminent studio potter Bernard Leach (1940: 38-39). On the other hand, the

philosopher of art, Arthur Danto (2005:36), associates the vase with the

white mists and waterfalls of ancient China and reflects upon the Neo-

Confucian teaching in that a work of art is an end in its own right. To look

at such a vase in the Bristol City Museum (BCM), few visitors will likely

share in Leach’s or Danto’s aesthetic experiences. Instead, they consider

it ‘boring’, ‘lifeless’, or ‘ethnographic’, and bearing little visual interest.

We seem to choose what our eyes see. Similar objects reveal

different meanings to viewers according to the viewers’ prior knowledge

and personal background. Looking is thus a reciprocal process that

objectifies the subject’s visual perception and subjectifies the object’s

qualities. While the museum uses the collection, with its juxtapositions and

setting, to convey meanings, visitors bring their own attitudes, perceptions,

and knowledge in making sense of their museum experience. How can

museums engage visitors to look at a Chinese collection, which may be

unfamiliar to their aesthetic tastes and daily life experiences?

In this article, I explore the mechanism of museum-viewing, to

understand the visitors’ meaning-making process, in the context of cross-

cultural communication. Based on visitor studies conducted at BCM, I

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investigate how the reciprocal process of viewing operates in relation to

Chinese material culture. First, I outline the research methodology to

justify the rationale for the enquiry; and second, I examine visitors’

interpretive strategies for the collection, to learn which objects would

speak the most to visitors within the context of exhibition communication.

By understanding visitors’ attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge, in

relation to the Chinese collection, the museum could more accurately

facilitate the meaning making process of visitors. Consequently, museum

interpretation would incorporate the visitors’ needs into exhibition so that

meaningful dialogues between objects and visitors can promote cross-

cultural understanding.

Research methodology

The Schiller Gallery in the BCM is an appropriate research site for

investigating how a wide range of visitors interact with Chinese material

culture. It is strategically significant in its representation of Western

scholarship and connoisseurship of Chinese art, and in its museological

approach to other cultures. The Eastern art collection is a result of

Ferdinand Schiller’s 25 years of collecting in the early-20th century (BCM

2003), and part of the gallery demonstrates the early development of

Western connoisseurship and scholarship of Chinese art, while some of

the contemporary displays show a shift in interpretation from the artistic

perspective to an appreciation of cultures. From the recent museological

concerns about education and accessibility, the BCM also launched

thematic exhibitions, such as ‘Dragons in the East’ (2000) and the

‘Chinese glass gallery’ (2006), with various approaches for introducing

visitors to the art and culture of China. To summarise, the historical

courses on the collections and their interpretation strategies would find

their counterparts within the profession, which has grant this case study a

certain degree of generalizability, in considering the wider issues of

museum communication.

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To explore the object-human relationship in a museum context, I

investigated what objects ‘say’ to visitors and how people elaborate on the

choices of their favourite objects within their interpretive repertoires. The

enquiry is based on 158 semi-structured interviews conducted at the

Schiller Gallery. In January 2007, I spent 20 days at the site interviewing

visitors about their favourite things. Most visitors agreed to participate

upon entering the gallery, though only about 70% of them returned to do

the interviews. The rest either found no objects of interest or left the

gallery while I was engaged with other visitors. I realise that the enquiry

itself would have an impact on the visitors’ interpretations, since visitors

were required to use their interpretive repertoires more extensively than

usual. Nevertheless, I argue that this did not change the visitors’

interpretations; rather, they were encouraged to organise their thoughts

and opinions of the objects. As a result, useful data was generated for

identifying visitors’ interpretive strategies for making meaning out of a

foreign collection.

Obviously, personal interests and expectations about a museum

experience can vary; however, the visitors showed significantly similar

interpretive strategies. Most of them tended to lack an analytical

framework or the appropriate art vocabulary to express their viewing

experiences verbally. As a result, I analysed their responses to their

favourite objects as if they were a single interpretive community.

What does an object speak?

The visitors responded to the request to elaborate on their favourite

object in one of the three ways: 1) making a statement about their

interpretation of the object; 2) associating the object with their own

personal experiences; or 3) asking for additional information. Three

themes began to emerge (perceptual response, socio-cultural association,

and technical concern), and each theme was further sub-divided into

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topics revolving around the visitors’ feelings, thoughts, and opinions of

their favourite object(s). The topics showed the visitors’ efforts to put their

viewing experiences into words and to make meaning from the perceptual

qualities of an object, according to their prior knowledge and personal

experience (Figure 1). Although Figure 1 may appear to be well-structured,

its aim is not to suggest a definitive classification of the meaning making

process. Rather, it is a tentative device for analysing visitors’ responses

that are, by nature, nebulous.

Figure 1. Visitors’ interpretive strategies

I am aware that looking at a work of art is an integral experience,

encompassing ‘deep involvement in and effortless progression of the

activity’ (Csikszentmihalyi 1990: 7). As one of the visitors stated, ‘It is very

difficult to look at the object and tell you the reasons because there is a

mix of things, and you would look at things altogether’ (G047). The visitors

did not view the subject, perceptual qualities, or technical aspects of

objects as separate entities. In fact, the more visitors explored different

attributes of an object, the more layers of meaning they could unpack. I

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argue that different topics of interpretive strategies show different

dimensions of the dialogues between visitors and the Chinese collections.

The following section analyses visitors’ interpretive strategies for relating

an object to each theme and topic, the words they tend to use, and the

interrelationship between the topics and themes.

Perceptual response

This theme refers to the visitors’ interpretation of their visual

experiences in relation to the physical qualities of an object displayed in

the Schiller Gallery. It includes many art elements and general visual

effects, such as colour, decoration, form and shape, overall impression,

size, and texture. These topics are discussed according to the frequency

of their occurrence.

Colour (53 of 158 visitors)

Colour is a formal element of art which visitors easily associate with

their daily life experiences. Fifty-three visitors claimed that colour was a

significant attribute of their favourite objects. Many visitors considered the

colours to be appealing for personal reasons, or taste, such as ‘it would

look beautiful in my house’ (M118), yet, few could elaborate on which

visual properties of colour they found appealing.

In terms of quality, rich colours or colourful variations were better

received than plain or soft tones. Forty-one visitors were fond of objects

decorated in colourful tones or vibrant colours, while nine visitors liked soft

and subtle hues of the objects. Likely, visitors who related to plain

monochromes were more interested in art or had some form of art training.

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Decoration (48 of 158 visitors)

In general, visitors were likely to consider diverse strategies for

looking at decoration, by identifying the content, describing its style,

associating it with personal meaning, or seeking contextual information. A

visitor’s imagination would likely be fired by stories, emotional expressions,

or familiar subjects coming from the representational subject matter

(subject matter is discussed below). For instance, a visitor who liked a

wooden screen with landscape, animals, and figures, could ‘make up a

story about these’ (W155). Familiarity with the subject matter seems to

give visitors a greater capacity to associate with the object. Furthermore,

when looking at styles of decoration, visitors tended to be more interested

in delicate decorations rather than simple designs. Twenty-eight visitors

explicitly described their favourite objects as being ‘complicated’ or

‘delicate’. Detailed decoration was seen as an instant indicator of technical

consummation.

Overall impression (37 of 158 visitors)

The topic of ‘overall impression’ concerns visitors’ initial responses to

their favourite objects as a whole. Most visitors tended to use generalised

words, such as ‘beautiful’, ‘nice’, and ‘stunning’, to describe their visual

pleasure. Many visitors also found it difficult to put their appreciation into

words and tried to relate their comments to the perceptual attributes of an

object, though they failed to specify the exact nature of the attribute. For

instance, one visitor who liked an incense burner, said, ‘It is very beautiful.

The colour is nice and the pattern is beautiful, too’ (G033).

To define a visitor’s personal notion of beauty may be impossible, yet

it seems to be related to their cultural perception. Of the 37 visitors, 15

considered their favourite objects to be ‘unique’ or ‘different’, and referred

to them in terms such as: ‘not seen this before’ or ‘not something you

would see in daily life’. Interestingly, within this group, 10 visitors

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compared the object with their perception of Chinese culture. Some

considered the object to be unusual because it did not conform to their

expectations of Chinese art while others claimed that objects represented

the ‘essence of Chineseness’. Thus, visitors were unfamiliar with the

collection and the cultures, but sought to distinguish qualities that contrast

with their daily experiences or aesthetic taste. In other words, the visitors’

interests were triggered by unfamiliarity, regardless of whether or not an

object is Chinese. To look at collections from other cultures seems to

stimulate visitors to reflect on their own cultural experiences, revealing the

importance of museums to consider established perceptions.

Form and shape (36 of 158 visitors)

Thirty-six visitors appreciated the three-dimensional quality of their

favourite objects and how the artist had arranged these elements. Few

visitors felt confident to analyse form and shape using artistic criteria, such

as proportion and symmetry. Most of them; however, examined the visual

effect that is created by form and shape, and its relationship with other

perceptual elements such as colour, decoration and texture. ‘Simple’,

‘unique’, ‘expressive’, or generalised words like ‘lovely’ and ‘perfect’ were

frequently used descriptors. Some visitors referred to ‘decorative’ or ‘daily

life’ objects as being ‘simple’ and modern’, and imputed ‘figures’ with

‘liveliness’. Visitors were likely associating these qualities of form and

shape with their daily experiences.

Others

Size and texture were two minor physical attributes that visitors

associated with their favourite objects. With regards to size, 10 of 16

visitors were fascinated by tiny objects because they related them to the

technical ingenuity or delicate cultural practices of China. On the other

hand, six visitors were fond of large items because of their powerful visual

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effect, which, they claimed, immediately attracted their attention, and was

in contrast to Chinese things they had seen before.

Although visitors were less likely to imagine how an object would

smell, feel, or sound, 14 of 158 visitors suggested some interesting

interpretive strategies with regards to this category. Four visitors used their

aesthetic imagination to explore the qualities of texture with other physical

attributes of objects; five visitors expressed how the objects would feel

when using them; and three visitors gave personal meanings in

interpreting textures. Based on the vocabularies they used, the visitors

who saw this category as being significant for their favourite objects,

appeared to have some prior knowledge or even some form of art training.

Most visitors had a limited interpretive repertoire for expressing their

aesthetic experiences in words. They tended to use general words, such

as simple, delicate, or modern, for describing the qualities of art elements

and were less ready to use formalistic tactics, such as composition,

proportion, or rhythm to evaluate the artistic attributes of an object.

Although some visitors showed an interest in looking at objects with

minimal design or decoration, most were likely to appreciate large objects

decorated with bright colours and intricate and representational details. To

many visitors, these qualities are associated with technical ingenuity, or at

least offer more visual enjoyment.

Socio-cultural association

This theme explores visitors’ interpretive strategies for looking at an

object in a wider context, either making cross-cultural references or with

reference to personal experiences. The theme is divided into several

topics: content and subject matter; personal association; historical

information; description and emotion; and demonstration of the visitor’s

ability to interpret perceptual qualities of objects for another dimension of

meaning.

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Subject matter (66 of 126 visitors)1

When visitors demonstrated a limited interpretive repertoire, they

tended to look at the subject matter of an object or the content of its

decoration to make sense of the object. In talking to visitors at BCM, I

found that one of the most important qualities of a visitor’s favourite object

was originality, demonstrating different ideas of representation, skill, and

aesthetic notions. Even though some objects had a familiar subject matter,

their artistic expression differed. Hence, the recognisable content of a

work of art highlighted the differences and consequently aroused the

visitor’s interest to explore the intrinsic value of the object. To explore the

visitors’ preferences with regard to subject matter, Table 2 summarises the

number of visitors selecting objects related to five themes: mythical

creature; decorative elements; figure; animal; and landscape and plants.

Table 2. Visitors’ preferences for subject matter

Subject Mythical

beings

Decorative

elements

Figure Animal

Landscape

& plants

Total

No. of

visitors

35 28 27 18 18 126

Mythical beings are the most popular subjects that visitors relate to.

Some are iconic Eastern images, such as the dragon, phoenix, or qilin. A

considerable number of visitors also made a personal connection to

figures that had expressive looks, a whimsical form, or a dramatic body

language, such as the tomb guardians, Chimera and Garuda. One visitor

1 Clearly, decorative art work does not necessarily involve a figurative or other representational subject

matter. For example, some Chinese ceramic designs are renowned for substituting pure form and delicate

skill for content. Indeed, 32 of 158 visitors chose objects without a narrative or representational subject, and therefore, could not be considered here.

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liked a blue and white plate, decorated in a fish-dragon motif, because it

had ‘a story to describe what was happening there… the plate [was] quite

plain and it helps to get you focus[ed] into the picture and its story’ (C088).

Some visitors are interested in learning about stories that are related to

the figures and would be likely to read the museum text in this regard.

Alternatively, a few visitors looked towards the calmer figures (i.e.,

Zhengwu and Guanyin) for emotional comfort.

Twenty-eight visitors were interested in making meaning out of such

decorative elements as geometrical pattern, inscription, and abstract motif.

Many of the interviewees deconstructed the decorative elements into

shape, colour, and lines and considered how the composition and rhythm

of the elements work with the form and material. Again, the visitors who

had received some kind of art training were more confident in looking at

the perceptual qualities of objects and freely exercised their own artistic

imagination.

Although the Schiller Gallery does not display many statues or

portrayals, the theme of figure received considerable interest from visitors.

Many visitors focus on an expressive look or a theatrical posture of a

figure, and compliment the ‘liveliness’ and projected personae in these

objects. Interestingly, visitors are likely to look at the decoration as an

‘authentic’ representation of historical fact. One visitor, in discussing a blue

and white vase with decoration that depicted fishermen, indicated that the

decoration demonstrates ‘how people get to work, how they fish and how

they attain food’ and that ‘men work[ed] outside and women stay[ed] at

home at that time’ (C060).

Non-mythical animals were also fairly popular among the visitors. The

visitors’ personal interests and tendency to anthropomorphise were

commonly mentioned in the discussions on these objects, while the

‘accuracy’ of representation was mentioned with regards to how well the

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object was made. The comments were also related to interests in Chinese

symbolism, the zodiac, and folk stories.

The subject of landscape, including the portrayal of plants and the

natural environment, has a significant role in Chinese art. Nevertheless, it

does not receive its fair share of attention in museums. In most cases,

visitors associated this subject matter with such qualities as delicacy,

expression, and inspiration. Some visitors enjoyed the subject matter

because ‘there are a lot of things to see’ (W155), but most visitors found it

difficult to understand the different artistic expressions of landscape in

Chinese art. Many visitors described the motifs as ‘flat’, ‘crude’, or ‘naïve’,

and compared them to ‘a kid’s work that can’t quite get the perspective

right’. Clearly the visitors could benefit from some information about

looking at this subject in its cultural context.

To summarise, in their process of meaning-making, visitors likely

associate with the subject matter to which they can identify, and also to

objects that seem to offer dramatic elements and cultural richness. To

visitors having a limited interest in art, mythical creatures, figures, and

animals are three of the most popular themes, serving as a point of entry

to the Chinese collection within the cross-cultural context.

Personal association (67 of 158 visitors)

This topic refers to how visitors make personal connections with their

favourite objects and considers the elements of an object that triggers the

meaning-making process. Sixty-seven visitors recalled images, ideas,

thoughts, and memories to relate an object to their personal context.

A total of 32 of 67 visitors looked at elements in which they were most

interested. For instance, one visitor (M049), interested in Buddhism, found

a bronze Buddha head to be appealing. Since personal interests vary

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widely, no obvious pattern was seen with the elements that generate

personal connections for visitors. Perceiving an object within one’s

personal context, 18 visitors cited personal meanings of an object

according to their recollection of prior experiences. For instance, an object

of black teaware appealed to a visitor (C100) because it resembled the

slipware pots he had made; and a court robe conveyed a sense of

soberness relating to a church ceremony that a third visitor enjoyed (T021).

It seems that because of a lack of context, visitors tended to relate

Chinese collections to their daily life experiences.

Rather than reminiscences, 24 visitors used their imagination to

create interesting dialogues with their favourite objects. A visitor, looking at

a Jun bowl repaired by a golden patch, was fascinated by the fact that

people would make every effort to conserve such a humble object, which

showed ‘everything stands in its own right’ (C091). Some visitors looked at

their favourite objects imaginatively, for example, one visitor, interested in

a meiping decorated with an abstract pattern, imagined creating different

images, such as ‘typhoid’ and ‘a cloud capped around a mountain’ (C016).

Inspired by the objects, some visitors created personal messages, mostly

aesthetic or spiritual, that spoke to them.

Sixteen visitors looked at their favourite objects for cross-cultural

references, according to their cultural perceptions. One visitor perceived

Chinese art to be delicate and tiny, though her favourite object, a bronze

beaker, might suggest otherwise (M109). To some extent, the visitors’

cultural associations and perceptions were vague in that they were

prepared to accept the museum’s explanation, even though it might

contradict their established view.

Motivated by personal interest and daily life experiences, the visitors

tended to relate to objects in the personal context, so as to aestheticise

their viewing, or to redefine the culture. These diverse strategies could be

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perceived as the visitors’ efforts to associate with the collection to

overcome the cultural differences between the objects and themselves.

Historical information (48 of 158 visitors)

This topic examines the information that could help visitors put the

collection into a historical and cultural context. Of 158 visitors, 48

expressed an interest in exploring information on dating, function and

usage, and the story and symbolism of their favourite objects.

Primarily, most visitors were interested in learning about the age of an

object. Some visitors were fascinated by the fact that an object could

survive through the ages. They were likely to ask why or how an object is

preserved and even ask how the museum can house such objects as part

of the collection. In addition, many of the interviewees reflected on the use

of certain early techniques in China and compared the development of

Chinese decorative art with that of other cultures.

The visitors tended to seek information that would place an object in

its socio-cultural context. Some of the most frequently asked questions

were concerned with what objects were used for, and by whom, and why

craftsmen would make an artifact in a particular style, or how different

cultures influenced some of the Chinese designs. The visitors appreciated

having aids and assistance to suggest how to look at an object in its own

context.

Description (19 of 158 visitors)

This topic concerns the visitors’ interpretive strategies for identifying

various elements or figures shown on objects and for making further

interpretations. Looking at a subject matter or a decoration that is

recognisable helps visitors to make further interpretations in relation to

their personal interests, feelings, and intentions. Nineteen visitors used

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this strategy to associate with their favourite objects. In most cases,

visitors were likely to associate their favourite objects with stories or

personalities – either created by them or informed by the museum labels.

For instance, one visitor was interested in a seated lion and thought that

the figure was ‘majestic, very serious and a little bit mysterious’… and

someone who ‘would do his job on guard very well, but if you throw a ball

at him, he will play along with you’ (X107).

Emotion (14 of 158 visitors)

This topic examines visitors’ ‘subjective feeling’ toward their favourite

objects. In general, visitors who expressed their feelings about an object

tended to describe it in great detail. ‘Inspiring’, ‘relaxing’, and ‘happy’ were

three adjectives most commonly used by visitors when outlining their

aesthetic appreciation. One visitor felt ‘relaxed’ to look at a porcelain figure

of Guanyin because the statue magnified ‘purity, serenity, and peace’

(C099). The visual stimuli that soothes different visitors is varied: some do

not explain the reason, while others refer to the simplicity, softness, and

plain colours. Most of the visitors consider subject matter, which is usually

related to religious figures or landscape motifs.

The topics relating to socio-cultural association show that visitors

devise various strategies for relating to an object, but are less resourceful

when looking at it in its cultural context. These strategies include

identifying representational or abstract elements; projecting human

temperament; building creative links according to one’s own personal

interest, experiences and imagination; and expressing emotional needs.

The particular patterns of how visitors associate with an object cannot be

easily recognised, though visitors likely appeal to function and usage,

stories and symbolism, and representational elements, that they are

familiar with, but also unfamiliar with in some respects. Thus, objects in

the form of, or decorated with, representational elements (i.e., as figures

and animals) are likely to be visually appealing.

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Technical concerns

Besides looking at an object in an aesthetic or cultural context, visitors

associate objects of interest with the technical ingenuity used for making

the object. This theme covers the style, technique and skill, and materials

of objects.

Style (60 of 158 visitors)

This topic refers to how visitors look at the aesthetic qualities of an

object in relation to its craftsmanship. Unlike the ‘overall impression’,

discussed earlier, this topic deals with how visitors look at various artistic

elements holistically and make an aesthetic statement about the object. In

other words, while ‘overall impression’ focuses on the visitors’ general

responses, ‘style’ is about the kinds of aesthetic ideas that visitors

associate with an object.

Of 158 visitors, 60 made aesthetic statements about their favourite

objects, with the most frequent comments involving intricacy, simplicity,

timelessness, and ‘lifelikeness’. Twenty-three visitors were fascinated by

the aesthetic quality of intricacy, likely relating to size, detailed decoration,

and the skill employed. For example, one visitor, who liked a wooden

sculpture with 12 zodiac animals, said: ‘It’s just a block of wood and the

craftsman made it into a three-dimensional model… so lively and intricate.

You can see the space and thickness where they got the carving knife in

and out to make every detail’ (W017). Nevertheless, some visitors

considered objects of thin texture, plain design, or with subtle or even

minimal decoration, to be delicate. One visitor, looking at a white bowl with

incised lotus flowers, defined it as ‘delicate’ because of its thin and

translucent body, simple form, and subtle pattern (C080). The style of the

intricacy seems to offer visitors rich details and visual proof of the genius

skill that augments the aesthetic feast.

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Seventeen visitors associated their favourite objects with the style of

simplicity. In most cases, the style was related to the object’s light colour,

simple form or shape, and minimal decoration, none of which distracted

the viewers from the purity of form and colour. Visitors had different ideas

about simplicity and some visitors defined it as including qualities of

subtlety and delicacy. Others associated simplicity with emotional comfort

in the form of tranquility or relaxation. According to the interviews, visitors

who made such aesthetic statements often have a certain level of art

training.

Another aesthetic quality that visitors considered was the object’s

timelessness. Sixteen visitors defined their favourite objects as ‘modern’ or

‘classical’; they thought that the object could have been made yesterday or

that it demonstrated an ingenious craftsmanship that contemporary artists

might try to emulate. The visitors had different ideas about what

constitutes timelessness: some described archaic design as being

‘contemporary’, while others described simple form as being ‘classical’.

They appeared to associate timelessness with objects that are simple, yet

unfamiliar, and with objects that can be contextualised into the

contemporary art scene.

Moreover, seven visitors identified the quality of being ‘lifelike’ as a

feature of their favourite object. As the objects that are associated with this

category have forms or are decorated with figures or animals, this quality

is likely related to the expressiveness of the subject matter.

The aesthetic qualities mentioned by the visitors suggests that their

interpretive strategies seek visual satisfaction, making personal meaning,

or identifying details for further association. Various factors, such as the

visitors’ interest in art, prior knowledge about the collection, its culture, and

museum interpretations, influence the visitors’ interpretation of style within

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the collection.

Technique and skill (24 of 158 visitors)

Of 158 visitors, 24 were interested in the skill or techniques used in

making their favourite objects. Most of visitors tended to appreciate the

‘excellent craftsmanship’ embodied by the collection, but were less likely

to explore the technical processes. Six visitors referred to the visual

enjoyment gained from observing technical ingenuity, while eight visitors

named specific techniques, which were often related to carving. This

particular technique may have been mentioned because it is the most

obvious one among many others, including ceramic firing, enamelling, and

bronze casting. In expressing their appreciation of the techniques and

skills, six visitors thought of the difficulties that the craftsmen would have

encountered and the time needed to construct the object. The visitors thus

related technique and skill to those objects which demonstrated delicate

decoration, or had distinguishing forms or shapes. In other words, they

were looking for immediate pointers to visual pleasure.

Material (12 of 158 visitors)

Few visitors discussed materials and the physical attributes of objects

as key elements of their favourite objects. Five of twelve visitors looked at

how the materials work with the other art elements, in rendering a holistic

visual effect, which may have been related to such qualities as being nice,

delicate, and unusual; five visitors mentioned the material because of a

personal interest and two visitors differentiated between the use of

materials and the artisan’s craftsmanship. As the Schiller Gallery is

focused on Chinese ceramic art, the visitors’ preferences for materials is

not clear, though visitors seem to prefer visual effects created by rare

materials (i.e., jade or ivory).

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The theme of technical concern describes how visitors look at objects

in relation to the object’s construction. Compared to other themes, fewer

visitors considered this theme to be significant for choosing a favourite

object. Still, this does not imply that visitors would be indifferent to

distinguishing the visual effects or qualities from the particular materials, or

to objects created with well-developed techniques. On the contrary,

technical consummation was an immediate pointer to visual pleasure and

personal statement. The technical details; however, were less important to

the visitors.

Cross-cultural viewing in museum

This article examines the reciprocal mechanism of cross-cultural

viewing in the context of museum exhibition. I have examined the

elements of visitors’ interpretive strategies in relation to the Chinese

collections at the BCM. Clearly, visitors generally have limited prior

knowledge and their interactions with the objects are usually responses to

bright colour, delicate design, and dramatic representational elements (i.e.,

figures and animals). Recognising appealing subject matter and

distinguishing visual qualities, the visitors tended to contextualise an

object by making an aesthetic statement, describing personal associations,

or summarising cross-cultural references. Thus, visitors look for visual

enrichment, technical ingenuity, or personal meanings in their processes

of meaning making. Although visitors may not be motivated to learn more

about the culture, the ‘otherness’ of the collections suggests a cross-

cultural framework and encourages visitors to either refer to their favourite

objects with signifiers of Chinese culture or to assimilate the collections

into a cultural context which they are more familiar with. This may confirm

their perception of Chinese culture or show them another dimension of it.

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All in all, as their personal interests, expectations, and motivations

vary, most visitors show little interest in relation to the collections and

seem to look for novelty in their viewing. Visitors’ interpretive strategies

tend to be instinctive responses to cognitive stimulations and lack any

capacity for in-depth communication with the objects. Certainly, objects

speak to people in one way or another; but some ‘words’ hold less truth

than others, especially, as in this case, when object-human relationships

are grounded within the context of another culture.

Bibliography BCM. 2003. The Schiller Collection (Information leaflet). Csikszentmihalyi, M. and Robinson, R. E. 1990. The Art of Seeing: An

Interpretation of Aesthetic Encounter. Malibu, California: The J. Paul Getty Trust.

Danto, A. 2005. ‘The Appreciation and Interpretation’ in The Philosophical

Disenfranchisement of Art. New York: Columbia University Press, 23-46. Leach, Bernard. 1940. A Potter’s Book. Florida: Transatlantic Arts Inc.