A chronological set of Punch politcal cartoons. Many are political in nature: if you can decode the political meaning, or recognise the figures being depicted, please comment on the blog entry.
Monday, 21 September 2009
July-Dec 1842, p253 - The Presentation of the Chinese Ambassador (PUNCH'S PENCILLINGS. NO.LVIII)
ARTIST: John Leech; Ebeneezer Landsells
TEXT WITHIN THIS IMAGE
CAPTION: THE PRESENTATION OF THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR
In this imaginary audition of Queen Victoria, the Chinese ambassador and his lady servants were depicted as people with long nails and pigtails. The shape of the ambassador is very fat in comparison to the hostess and her local guests. The contrasts between the British and the Chinese in appearance more or less meet the contemporary British images of the Chinese as the latter is often metaphorically compared to a doddering old man in other English texts. The swollen fingers of the visitors may also imply they are not as healthy as the British.
This marks the end, I think, of the first opium war (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars). There is a report in the Times of December 6 1842, typically disparaging in tone,
"His Celestial Majesty proposes, we are told, sending an ambassador to London. Will the great man bring Mrs. Fo with him? Will his Excellency walk in Piccadilly with his pig-tail on?"
Did an ambassador arrive? I think not, but if anyone knows of the first Chinese ambassador to London, let me know. The ambassador in the cartoon is clearly to represent the Chinese state generally - and he does look doddering and old - but why is he fat? To indicate the potential wealth/riches of China? Or to suggest that the state is sluggish, overblown, what? I don't think fat=unhealthy was an assumption made in this period.
ARTIST: 
In this imaginary audition of Queen Victoria, the Chinese ambassador and his lady servants were depicted as people with long nails and pigtails. The shape of the ambassador is very fat in comparison to the hostess and her local guests. The contrasts between the British and the Chinese in appearance more or less meet the contemporary British images of the Chinese as the latter is often metaphorically compared to a doddering old man in other English texts. The swollen fingers of the visitors may also imply they are not as healthy as the British.
ReplyDeleteThis marks the end, I think, of the first opium war (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_Wars). There is a report in the Times of December 6 1842, typically disparaging in tone,
ReplyDelete"His Celestial Majesty proposes, we are told, sending an ambassador to London. Will the great man bring Mrs. Fo with him? Will his Excellency walk in Piccadilly with his pig-tail on?"
Did an ambassador arrive? I think not, but if anyone knows of the first Chinese ambassador to London, let me know. The ambassador in the cartoon is clearly to represent the Chinese state generally - and he does look doddering and old - but why is he fat? To indicate the potential wealth/riches of China? Or to suggest that the state is sluggish, overblown, what? I don't think fat=unhealthy was an assumption made in this period.