MAKING CLOCKS AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ：TOMÁS PEREIRA AS AN ARTISAN AT THE COURT OF KANGXI (1673-1708)時鐘和樂器制作：康熙朝廷的巧匠徐日升(1673-1708)
The article analyzes the artisanal dimension of Tomás Pereira (Santos da Costa Pereira), a Portuguese Jesuit active in Beijing during the reign of Kangxi (1673-1708), with a particular focus on his production of “curious things” — especially clocks, musical instruments, and other mechanical artifact...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40051/2233 |
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| Summary: | The article analyzes the artisanal dimension of Tomás Pereira (Santos da Costa Pereira), a Portuguese Jesuit active in Beijing during the reign of Kangxi (1673-1708), with a particular focus on his production of “curious things” — especially clocks, musical instruments, and other mechanical artifacts. The authors base themselves essentially on a documentary corpus attributed to Pereira, articulating it with contemporary references about his knowledge and with the circulation of skills between missionary and courtly contexts. The methodology combines paleographic and historiographic reading of sources, reconstructing the place of the European craftsman in the technical ecosystem of the Qing court, as well as the modes of legitimation of his work.
It concludes that Pereira's reputation as a craftsman results from effective mechanical competence and an ability to translate technical knowledge into devices appreciated by imperial recipients. The production of musical instruments and measuring mechanisms is treated not merely as curiosity or a mere effect of exoticism, but as a practice embedded in networks of commission, evaluation, and ritual and cultural use. Thus, the article repositions Pereira as a technical and cultural mediator, offering new elements for understanding the governance of knowledge in the court of Kangxi and the role of Jesuit intermediaries in the material history of China. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |