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176th street antiques
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176th street antiques
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northwest chinese artifacts What do you think of when you hear the phrase "pioneer?" Does it conjure up a picture of a covered wagon crossing the wind-swept prairies to Oregon? Do you see a crusty goldminer with his pickaxe and donkey? What sort of faces do your pioneers have? Are they European? They could just as easily be Chinese or Japanese. They Came to Stay The
widely-held stereotype of the Western Pioneer when
portrayed Hollywood-style is one of a European or Ah Sing in Chinese Temple, Centerville, Idaho about 1900. AACC 222/2. Photo courtesy of Asian American Comparative Collection (Rob McIntyre donation) Finding Chinese Artifacts The Chinese settled in many locations in the Pacific Northwest, and likely sites for finding Asian pioneer artifacts include sites of early railroad construction camps, old logging and mining camps, urban "Chinatowns," farms and other sites previously Chinese-owned, cook shacks, old temple grounds, cemeteries, and even second-hand stores. For instance, a number of Chinese cups, bowls, and other artifacts have been turned up in the historic village of Fort Langley, B.C. The types of artifacts left by the early Chinese settlers can differ greatly from the now familiar "Chinese Export Wares." Chinese export wares were made in China specifically for export and sale to western countries. Early Northwest Chinese artifacts, although produced in China, bear no "Made In China" markings, and may be very plain in shape and function, unlike the fanciful and highly decorated export wares. Brown and green stonewares were used, as well as the familiar blue and white glazes.
Chinese Globular and Barrel-shaped Stoneware Jars Alongside Chinese artifacts may be found those of Japanese origin. Japanese ceramics have been recovered from Chinese settlements in the Pacific Northwest, suggesting the possibility that the Chinese pioneers also utilized them. Unless it bears a recognizable pattern or lettering, it may require an expert to identify and date any ceramic artifacts found. These early pieces often did not bear date stamps or other identifying markings, and both the Chinese and the Japanese produced blue and white ceramic wares. Associated Euroamerican or Eurocanadian artifacts are used to date Asian ceramics to within 50 years or so. The age of a Chinese settlement may offer an end-date for artifacts found, but any pieces may date from considerably earlier. References 1 and 2 contain excellent lists and descriptions of Chinese and Japanese artifacts that can be found in these sites, as well as photographs of the artifacts themselves. These reference materials may be ordered from the Asian American Comparative Collection's curator by following the link below.
Chinese Liquor Warmer and Japanese Katagami Teacup Images courtesy of the Asian American Comparative Collection In addition to the ceramic tablewares, other artifacts found at Chinese settlements include bottles for alcoholic beverages, food containers, personal grooming items, jewelry, tobacco pipes, opium pipes and accessories, gaming pieces, and money. Opium, derived from a specific type of poppy, contained morphine and other chemicals. Opium was used for its narcotic effects in any number of manners by the North American settlers, from patent medicines to recreational usage. Only 20 percent of the opium imported to North America at the turn-of-the-century was for Chinese consumption. The Chinese use of opium was primarily as a smoke. Opium pipes differed from conventional tobacco pipes in their design, due to the complex method in which the opium was rendered smokable. The stem was considerably longer than a tobacco pipe, and the bowl was a separate piece of stone, metal, or ceramic joined by a narrow neck to the stem. This neck may or may not have a metal insert, and it is through this "smoking hole" that the opium was inhaled. The variety of bowls found on 19th century opium pipes is amazing, from very plain circular bowls to elaborate shapes and designs. A very nice pictography of pipe bowls exists in Reference 3. Opium was stocked in Chinese merchantiles, and sold by grade under fanciful names such as "Abundant Luck" and "Everlasting Peace."
Opium Pipe Bowl Jewelry found at early Chinese settlements may be quite elaborate, and may even bear Chinese characters. Ornaments of glass, jade, and gold have been recovered from Northwest sites. Jade, an ornamental stone usually green in color, traditionally has been endowed with positive virtues by Chinese culture, and remains popular to this day as a material for jewelry, carvings, and other decorative arts.
Chinese Earring AACC16/1 Photo courtesy of the Asian American Comparative Collection Chinese money found at early settlements is typically "pierced" coins, disks of metal between 1/2" and 1" in diameter.
Chinese Coins 20th Century Collectibles As the Chinese established themselves throughout the Northwest, advertising collectibles became available from Chinese-owned businesses. Collecting ceramics, menus, and advertisements from Chinese restaurants has become a popular hobby. The most desirable pieces date from before 1960, and have the business name, location, and a Chinese-styled picture on them. The information enables the collector to date the pieces, and the more elaborate the decoration, the more desirable the piece. Chinese restaurant ceramics were produced to order by many countries. It is not unprecedented to find Chinese logos on ceramics made in Britain, Japan, and elsewhere! Other popular collectibles include Chinese lanterns, wall-painting calendars, and food and beverage advertisements. If You Want to Know More About Chinese and Related Artifacts..... 1. Wegars, P. Chinese Artifact Illustrations, Terminology, and Selected Bibliography, 2001, Asian American Comparative Collection, Moscow, ID 2. Wegars, P. Japanese Artifact Illustrations, Terminology, and Selected Bibliography, 2001, Asian American Comparative Collection, Moscow, ID 3. Wegars, P., editor. Hidden Heritage: Historical Archaeology of the Overseas Chinese, 1993 Baywood Publishing Co., Amityville, NY 4. Kovel, R., and Kovel, T. Kovel's Antiques & Collectibles Price List 1998, Three Rivers Press, NY Contact the Asian American Comparative Collection Copyright 2001, by T. Fairfax
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European-descent
family or man seeking a better life via the rich farming
soils or the gold-laden mountains of the North American
West. If Asian ethnic groups were ever represented in
that tradition, they were depicted as backward,
two-dimensional characters employed in menial or servile
positions not central to the plot or course of history in
the North American West. This stereotype has in recent
years been exploded by the work of anthropologists and
historical archaeologists working in many diverse
locations throughout the continent. Right alongside of
those white pioneers were the Chinese and the Japanese
pioneers. They also came to work in the gold mines, on
the railroads, and in the rich farmlands of the West.
They brought with them a culture thousands of years old,
and they forever changed the social landscape of North
America. They were merchants, miners, farmers, and
business people of all walks of life, and they throve in
spite of strong racial discrimination and exploitation at
the hands of many white communities in the Old West.
