| This dissertation examines the antiquarian movement of the Song dynasty (960-1279), one of the most influential intellectual movements and cultural phenomena in China's pre-modern history. Traditionally referred to as "studies of metal and stone" for its emphases on ritual bronzes and stone carvings, the Song antiquarian movement revolutionized the study of antiquity in China through its incorporation of ancient objects. This dissertation adopts a new methodological approach that integrates archival and archaeological data under three themes: collecting antiquity, writing antiquity, and appropriating antiquity. The aim is to produce a conceptual framework for understanding the Song antiquarian movement while piecing together historical details that recapture its original spirit and dynamics. Under the theme collecting antiquity, I examine the legendary rubbing collection Jigulu assembled by Ouyang Xiu as an example of "conceptual collecting," in which ancient objects were collected through the mediation of ink rubbings. Such rubbings were considered authentic surrogates because they preserved not only the text inscribed on an object but also its authenticity by virtue of the rubbing's capacity to capture the nexus between text and object. Under the theme writing antiquity, I examine two catalogues of ancient bronzes, Kaogutu and Bogutu, arguing that fundamentally different notions of antiquity underlie the two works. While Kaogutu emphasizes the historical value of ancient objects, Bogutu demonstrates the concern for establishing correct state ritual based on canonical ritual texts. Under the theme appropriating antiquity, I recognize three modes of appropriating antiquity: direct imitation, semiotic borrowing, and aesthetic transformation. The first mode employed a wholesale type of antique revival. The second mode involved the use of ancient forms for establishing cultural identity. The third mode aetheticized ancient images and incorporated them into popular culture through commercialized mass-production. Although this complex picture of the Song antiquarian movement suggests a distinction between the secular-historical view of the literati and the sacred-ritual view of the imperial court, this distinction was blurred by the multiple roles played by Song antiquarians. Additionally, commercial production of archaistic goods obscured the separation between elite and popular culture, resulting in the omnipresence of ancient imagery in Song society. |
