Freud's Chinese Antique Collection: "I've Read More Archaeology Than Psychology"
In 1938, Sigmund Freud (hereinafter referred to as Freud) escaped from Nazi-occupied Vienna with his family, and his family came to London, England, and settled at 20 Mansfield Gardens.
Arrives in London with Freud, along with his collection of more than 2,000 antiques and more than 1,600 books. Most of these antique collections come from Egypt, Greece, Rome and China.
This small red-brick building in Hamstead, north London, was not only Freud's final home in his later years, but also the home of the Freud Museum in London.
Freud Museum (Freud's former residence)
During the escape of the Freud family from Vienna, the exquisite Biedermeier-style cabinets, cooks and a series of Austrian painted furniture were also successfully transferred to their London residence. . Today, the furniture is perfectly placed in the Freud Museum, recreating the original furnishings in which Freud lived.
Freud Museum (Sigmund Freud House)
From February 12, 2022 to June 26, 2022, the Freud Museum will hold the exhibition "Freud and China". This exhibition will showcase Freud's collection of Chinese antiques and books, along with his relationship with Chinese art, history and culture. The exhibition is curated by Craig Clonas, Emeritus Professor of Art History at Oxford University. At that time, the exhibition will also receive strong support from the Stanley Ho Family Foundation.
Freud Museum (Sigmund Freud House)
As a world-renowned psychologist and the originator of psychoanalysis, Freud formally proposed the concept of psychoanalysis in 1895, and published the psychological work "The Analysis of Dreams", which influenced the world in 1900. Although Freud never visited China in his life, his psychology and psychoanalysis have always influenced various fields in China.
When did Freud start collecting Chinese antiques? What are his preferences for his Chinese antique collection? Through this exhibition, we can get a glimpse of the unknown side of this "antique collector" in the field of psychology.
A fan of archaeology and collections outside of psychology
In 1873, the famous German businessman and archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann published his monograph "Antiquities of Troy" on the archaeological excavations of Troy.
At that time, 17-year-old Freud had used this archaeological description as a desk volume to read frequently. Later, the Englishman Evans unearthed the legendary Minoan labyrinth in Crete. These archaeological waves that accompanied Freud's growth continued to arouse his love and interest in archaeology and antiquities collection.
Sigmund Freud
In 1896, Freud's father Jacob died. Perhaps it was to divert the sympathetic thoughts of his father's death, and at that time, Freud really began his antique collecting career. After that, his desk was often filled with small sculptures from Egypt and Greece, as well as many ancient glassware and fragments.
Sigmund Freud Antique Collection (detail)
When Russian aristocrat Sergey Pankdev first came to Freud's house, he lamented that he felt as if he had entered an antique collector's study rather than a doctor's clinic.
Freud paid special attention to Egyptian art in the early days, and his collection of Egyptian art accounted for almost half of his collection, followed by Greek and Roman art collections.
Sigmund Freud Antique Collection (detail)
And Freud began to collect Chinese antiques in his later years.
In 1928, Zhang Shizhao, who had been admiring Freud for a long time, had established correspondence with Freud during his stay in Europe with his family.
After Zhang Shizhao returned to China, he completed the translation of "Fu Luo Yide Biography", which is the first Chinese translation of Freud's work in China. Zhang Shizhao is also known as the modern Chinese translation of Freud's works. First person. The book also photocopied Freud's handwritten letter to Zhang Shizhao.
The letter states: "Dear Professor, no matter what method you use to accomplish your vision, whether it is to develop the discipline of psychoanalysis in your home country, China, or to write an article for our "Imagination" magazine, in your country I am very satisfied with the material of language to measure our speculations about ancient expressions."
Letter from Sigmund Freud to Zhang Shizhao
Although Zhang Shizhao is the only person who has correspondence with Freud, the content of Freud's letters to Zhang Shizhao shows his respect for China and Chinese culture and art, which seems to be the basis for his collection of Chinese antiques in his later years. And the book lays off to a good start.
At present, there are many books on Chinese art and literature in the Freud Museum, such as "Early Chinese Jade" written by British author Una Pope-Hennessy, and "The Birth of China" published by American sinologist Gu Liya.
Looking at Freud's collection of Chinese antiques, although small in number, it is the most precious collection owned by Freud.
Chinese Antique Collection The companionship of contemplation and meditation at Freud's desk
In the center of Freud's desk, two Chinese screens are often placed in the most conspicuous position. One of them is a jade screen, and the other is a mahogany carved table screen from the Qing Dynasty.
Jade Jade Screen Collection of China Freud Museum
This small jade screen is very much loved by Freud. Whether in Vienna or London, this jade screen is placed on his desk by him. This jade screen is also one of his favorite Chinese collections.
The pattern in the middle of this jade screen is the Chinese character "Shou", which means longevity. Dragon patterns are carved on both sides and around the character of "Shou". Freud was born in 1856, the year of the dragon in China. Therefore, he is also likely to know the relationship between "dragon" and his birth year, which may be the reason why he loves this collection so much.
In 1899, Freud proposed the "barrier memory" theory, which refers to the fact that the human mind is shrouded and covered up layer by layer, causing memory to be distorted and fabricated. This makes one wonder whether the theory of "barrier memory" was influenced and inspired by this jade screen.
Table screen, Qing Dynasty, China, Collection of the Freud Museum
This is another table screen, this one is carved out of mahogany, carefully carved with curly grass patterns. In traditional Chinese culture, natural landscapes are always associated with the idea of "detachment" advocated by Taoism. It is said that Freud often sat at his desk and stared at it, falling into meditation and contemplation.
These two female pottery figurines of the Tang Dynasty were unearthed from the tombs. Some of them cupped their hands, some held objects, and the remaining ochre glaze marks could still be vaguely seen on their lips, arms, and folds. The "colored Chinese women" mentioned by Freud in his diary should be them.
Female figurines in the collection of the Freud Museum, Tang Dynasty, China
Female statuette, Tang Dynasty, China, Collection of the Freud Museum
This jade-gold brooch is made of jade and gold, and two jade rings, one large and one small, are attached with golden dragons, which are connected with each other by gold needles.
In China, jadeite has always been a precious jade, with a strong texture and not easy to carve. The Chinese often endow jade with many symbolic meanings. The collection of this brooch shows Freud's in-depth understanding of Chinese culture.
Jade and gold brooch, China Freud Museum
This brooch is Freud's birthday present to his daughter Anna, but it's not just a gift from the father to his daughter, it's more like Freud's praise for her academic efforts. A recognition of her hard work.
Bodhisattva Leader Ming Dynasty China Freud Museum Collection
Painted statues of Taoist saints, China Freud Museum
Freud's collection of Chinese antiques is mostly based on his own preferences, not the level of value; although it is not a top art treasure, it reflects that the European antiques market has become a global collection position at that time, and Chinese antiques are collected in It has been highly respected abroad.
Constructing Psychological and Psychoanalytic Concepts in the Language of Antique Collections and Archaeology
For Freud, archaeology and antique collecting and psychoanalysis were inextricably linked. Freud once mentioned in the book "The Interpretation of Dreams": "The ancient and stained idols are helping me". Freud's antique collection also played an important role in inspiring his academic thinking and inspiring his creative inspiration.
As a persistent antique collector, psychologist and psychoanalyst, Freud analyzed the behavior of antique collecting from the perspective of psychoanalysis, and sorted out the present by mastering the behavior of the past. context.
Freud viewed antique collecting as a manifestation of the desire to control, and traced the source of this desire to the development of toilet-use behavior in young children. He believes that toilet training is a key process for children to learn self-control. But young children often experience bowel incontinence, which also becomes a trauma in their growth. Antique collection is the collector's attempt to regain control of himself through the possession of objects.
Freud Museum (Sigmund Freud House)
Heinrich Schliemann, the excavator of Troy, was one of Freud's most revered archaeologists, and Freud often likened his role as a psychologist and psychoanalyst to that of an archaeologist.
Freud believed that psychology, psychoanalysis and archaeology are all excavations layer by layer, step by step to approach the most real and valuable treasures in the heart; collage the fragments of human memory together, and understand the present by reproducing the past.
His friend Lou Andreas Salome once said: "We can feel how important it was for Freud to recreate the past, and so is the old objects in his studio. Impressive, as if the archaeologists had created a psychoanalyst in him."
