Military Orientalism: Eastern War through Western Eyes

In 2011, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office formally acknowledged that it held records of local colonial administration that had been removed from their repositories prior to independence and eventually transferred to the United Kingdom. These records are in the process of transfer to the National Archives. Using records released as part of the transfer so far, this article analyses the process of assessment, destruction and removal of local administrative records in Malaya prior to independence in 1957, and North Borneo and Sarawak prior to their incorporation into Malaysia in 1963. Due to the survival of unusually detailed lists of the records held in the North Borneo and Sarawak registries and their fates, a comparative analysis of two parallel processes can be undertaken that sheds light on the physical practicalities of the selection, removal and destruction process: in short what survived and why. This article also assesses the extent to which this process was managed from the metropole or locally, how the process changed over time and how the colonial officials who undertook this work understood, justified and rationalised what they were doing.     

西方人眼里的徐继畬及其著作

在<瀛环志略>面世的19世纪中叶,徐继畬其人及其著作,成为西方人观察中国的风向标.美国传教士弼莱门和卫三畏先后发表长篇书评,对此书的价值及其刊行的意义作了充分肯定,与郭士立对<海国图志>的批评形成鲜明对照.徐继畬为了写作<瀛环志略>,利用一切机会向西人探询域外文明.同时,这部杰出的著作及其作者,也成为西方人探求中国文化的渠道.西人对徐继畬及其著作的评价,与徐继畬在对外交涉中坚持理性原则、对传教士采取宽容态度相关.     

War Pessimism in Britain and an American Peace in Early 1916

By offering a reinterpretation of an Anglo-American pact known as the House-Grey Memorandum, this article challenges prevailing views about British decision-making in 1916 in the months leading up to the Battle of the Somme. It argues that serious doubts that the war could still be won without American assistance were the defining characteristic of their deliberations. Owing to deep scepticism about the proposed offensive and severe worries about their financial resources, a majority of the key British civilian leaders were prepared to accept a compromise peace mediated by the United States. Yet these efforts failed primarily because of intrigue at the highest levels of British politics, hard-line Conservative opposition and serious diplomatic missteps by American President Woodrow Wilson. In the end, although doubting it would produce any meaningful results, the British civilian leadership allowed the Somme offensive to go forward only because of their failure to unite on another course of action to prevent it. Finally, this study significantly revises existing thinking about American diplomacy during this period by challenging prevailing notions of the practicality and rigidity demonstrated by U.S. leaders in their foreign policy.     

Looking through The Two Eyes of the Earth: A Reassessment of Sasanian Rock Reliefs

Matthew Canepa's recent study of the cultural and political interactions between Rome and Sasanian Iran, has provided an opportunity to reassess Sasanian rock reliefs in light of the claims and counter claims between these two empires. Since victory over Romans meant a victory over an-Erān, and generated the most potent of all farrs, i.e. the Aryan farr, many rock reliefs were conceived to show its reflection on the king. What is most interesting, though, is the array of nuances that are incorporated in them to account for the differences that were particular to each situation.     

鸟之眼——鸟儿眼神写真和臆想

<正>嘤其鸣矣,求其友声。——《诗经·小雅·伐木》鹦哥也有情和义,世上的人儿不如它。——越剧《红楼梦》宝玉、紫鹃唱段2009年3月,春暖乍寒。我在中国野生鸟类保护救助中心拍了几只被救助的伤禽的眼睛。拍完之后,我在电脑里仔细地观察这几只鸟的眼,突然想起一句俗语,"眼睛是心灵的窗口"。人类如此,鸟儿亦然。我用鼠标放大每一只眼,惊愕地发现,每一     

Looking With Both Eyes

Private metal detecting is frequently suggested as a favourable recipe for saving objects that would otherwise perish in agricultural fields in Norway. Metal detector communities portray themselves as heritage rescuers. For this they receive considerable praise from sympathetic archaeologists and museum staff. By contrast, finders who keep objects for themselves are portrayed as so-called nighthawks. However, accounts from informants who collect, trade or search for archaeological objects reflect more ambivalent attitudes than the idealized image of heritage rescuers and the hostile image of nighthawks indicate. In this article, the issue of private metal detecting is approached through recorded interviews, official correspondence in public archives and informal accounts in online forums.

Norwegian cultural heritage law forms a background to the analysis, while certain legal concepts are employed more actively. The relation between museums and detectorists is deconstructed and explored through the legal provisions on receiving and laundering the proceeds of criminal acts in Norway’s General Civil Penal Code. It is argued here that, while it might seem practical from the point-of-view of museums to assume that finds that are handed in according to law also have been legally procured, such acceptance might also be understood as unlawful legitimation.     

Tibet in Foreign Eyes

EDITOR'SNOTE:Tibethasbecomeahotspotintheinternationalarena.Eachyear,therearenumerouspeoplewhocometovisit,workorstudyintheregion.HowdotheyviewTibet?Beginningwiththisissue,wecreatethiscolumnforreaderstosharetheirview."ThisIsReallyTerrific!"reyGorryfromBrazilpaidavisittoLhasainJune1999inthecapacityofahumanrightsstatecouncilsecretary.Accordingtohim,thatwashisfourthvisittoLhasa,andhewasverymuchimpressedwiththelandscapethere."IamimpressedbychangesthathavetakenplacetoTibetfollowingtheDemocr…     

我所认识的徐展堂

推荐词:徐展堂先生是上世纪90年代至本世纪初最著名的中国文物与艺术品收藏家。1991年在香港成立"香港徐氏艺朮馆"展品2000多件,以商周青铜器、陶瓷和古玉器为主,曾在全球创设了9座展馆。其热衷公益和慈善事业,至今影响甚大。徐展堂先生不仅是香港著名的实业家,还是一位热衷中华传统文化、海内外知名的杰出文物收藏鉴赏家。他从70年代中期起,就开始收藏古瓷器,经数十年不断努力、积累,最多时拥有藏品四千余件,分别为陶瓷器、青铜器、玉石器和牙角器等。其中尤以陶瓷器最为     

WAC Reflections Through Maori Eyes

For a while now issues surrounding ethics in archaeology have occupied my thoughts, as have case studies of ethical misconduct. In fact a large part of why I gravitated toward archaeology is rooted in past instances of poor ethical practice instigated against my people, and the overwhelming personal need I have, to seek redress and change for Iwi Maori. Part of my commitment to both of these endeavours, is expressed through my association with WAC, with whose present code of ethics and principles i find affinity with.     

Horkang Soinam Benba in My Eyes

I got to know Horkang Soinam Benba in the winter of 1956.I had just graduated from university and had the pleasure of accompanyinga Tibet study team, organized by the Committee for Ethnic Affairs of the National People's Congress and led by Professor Li Youyi. Our goal was to inspect the conditions of Tibetan music. While I was collating and recording the ancient Tibetan Langma singing and dancing, the prominent Langma folk artist, Ngamari, advised me to work