Shen Congwen and the Study of Material Culture

Abstract

Abstract: Forced to stop writing after 1949, Shen Congwen veered his attention to the study of material culture. Consistent with his literary creation, his study of folk and daily cultural relics was a "lyrical archeology" to present his life. The guideline for his study of material culture was "biographing things" by tracing their histories with a massive amount of literature. His emphasis on the material existence not only echoed ideas in modern archeology, but also related to his long-term obsession with "things", hence the juxtaposition of handed-down relics, newly discovered literature and articles. His study penetrated original discipline boundaries, because he combined the study of literature and history as well as the study of relics, and was involved in the histories of technology, fine arts, aesthetics, and culture. Shen Congwen's study of material culture was not only a methodology for historical interpretation, but also significant references for understanding and modifying the narrative of literary history. By connecting history and human beings, his research enabled a fresh encounter between emotionally underpinning things and humankind after thousands of years.

Key words: Shen Congwen, material culture, lyrical archeology, biographing things

Ji Jin. Shen Congwen and the Study of Material Culture[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2017, 37(1): 27-34.

References

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