The National Museum of Taiwan History (NMTH) in Tainan has opened its largest-ever exhibition called “Transcending 1624: Taiwan and the World,” bringing Taiwan’s 17th-century history to life.
Introducing the theme of the exhibition, which opened on Thursday, NMTH official Wu Ju-mei (吳如媚) yesterday told reporters that the year 1624 was significant for Taiwan.
At that time, two major maritime powers — the Dutch and the Spanish — coexisted in Taiwan, with the Dutch in the south and the Spanish in the north, she said.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of Taiwan History
Taiwan was also heavily enmeshed in international trade networks and expanded its interactions with the outside world, Wu said.
The exhibition is divided into five sections exploring specific themes ranging from Taiwan’s geographical location and connections to the outside world to the nation’s rich and diverse “oceanic characters,” the museum said in a statement.
One of the exhibition’s most notable displays features a book dating to 1646 titled Origins and Development of the Dutch East India Company, the museum said.
It contains a chapter detailing Dutch sailor Wijbrand van Waerwijk’s endeavors within the company, including his exploration of trade opportunities in the Penghu Islands off Taiwan’s western coast and in China.
Another highlight was a painting being displayed in Taiwan for the first time. Titled Missionary Robertus Junius Preaching and Baptizing in the Siraya Village of Soulang, it portrays Dutch missionary Robertus Junius, who preached in Tainan from 1629 to 1643.
The inscription on the borrowed painting, provided by a private Dutch owner, reads: “Display of the clothing, figures and assembly of the New Christians in Formosa, in the village of Soulang, while the word of God is preached in their own language by Minister Robertus Junius, in the year 1643, Painted there by a Chinese.”
From the 16th century onward, Europeans referred to Taiwan as “Formosa,” a Portuguese term translating to “beautiful island.”
The museum also looks at the role protestant Dutch missionaries played in Taiwan.
It said the indigenous Siraya were the first to be targeted by missionaries and their carrot-and-stick approach to spreading religion, but evidence indicates that the Siraya did not completely accept what was preached.
Instead, the Siraya might have integrated the foreign religion with their own beliefs, the museum said.
In addition to Taiwan’s history, museum-goers can also look at vivid trade scenes in Japan from that era at the exhibition in southern Taiwan.
A total of 20 cultural relics are on loan from the National Museum of Japanese History, and an additional eight are on loan from the Kobe City Museum in Japan.
The collection is comprised of ancient paintings depicting various aspects of overseas trade and foreign interactions, as well as exported ceramics and lacquerware, the NMTH said.
Among the Japanese works on loan is the Arrival of the Southern Barbarians (Nanban-jin) screen, stretching over 640cm.
It depicts Portuguese and Southeast Asian sailors involved in trade with Japan during the 17th century, showcasing scenes that include the establishment of Catholic churches.
“Transcending 1624: Taiwan and the World” includes an expert-led talk today featuring Rijksmuseum curators Eveline Sint Nicolaas and Maria Holtrop, the NMTH said.
The topic of the talk is “the exhibition ‘Slavery’ at the Rijksmuseum (2021), the making of, the spin off and afterlife,” the NMTH said.
Today, Dutch historian Leonard Blusse is also to deliver a lecture at the museum titled, “The Incredible Reverend Robertus Junius: The Contentious Career of a Man with a Mission.”
The exhibition, open until June 30, provides English translations describing each displayed item.
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