From the Summer Palace 1860

A significant portion of objects labeled as originating from the Summer Palace, Beijing, lack verifiable provenance, despite some having clear ties to the 1860 sacking. The study highlights how Western markets in the 19th century often used vague descriptions like 'From the Imperial Summer Palace' for newly acquired items, obscuring their true origins. This practice exacerbated China's political humiliation and cultural loss during colonial-era conflicts. The research examines historical records, sales data, and government responses to trace the movement of artworks, architectural fragments, and manuscripts from Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace) to Western collections.

Pearce, N. (2017). From the Summer Palace 1860. Collecting and Displaying China’s “Summer Palace” in the West, 38–50. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315113395-3