November 2001

From Field Museum

Explore the early history, culture of Japan

Two divergent accounts of the political, cultural and social currents running through Japan from the 3rd to the 5th centuries—a turning point on the road to state formation—will be explored at a lecture Saturday, November 17, at The Field Museum.

Gina Barnes, author of the best-selling textbook The Rise of Civilization in East Asia: The Archaeology of China, Korea and Japan, will discuss the differences between the Chinese dynastic records and Japanese court chronicles during this era.

“This is a rare opportunity to hear one of the principle scholars on the emergence of civilization in East Asia,” said Gary Feinman, chair of The Field Museum’s anthropology department.

What: “A Tale of Two Histories: Early States in Japan,” a Commander Gilbert E. Boone and Katharine Philps Boone Lecture

Who: Gina Barnes, professor at the University of Durham, England

When: 2:00 p.m., Saturday, November 17

Where: The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive

Cost: General admission $12; students/educators $10; Field Museum members $8. Pre-registration is required; call (312) 665-7400.

This is the first lecture in a series made possible by gifts from Commander Gilbert E. Boone and Katharine Philps Boone, both of whom served in the military during and after World War II.

The Boones gave The Field Museum a collection of more than 3,500 East Asian artifacts that they acquired primarily in the late 1950s during a three-year tour of duty in Japan. A significant number of items are also from China and Korea. Early on, the Boones decided that their collection should be used as an educational tool to foster an interest in and understanding of East Asia. They hoped that the collection that would help alleviate the bitterness towards and ignorance of Japan that prevailed in the West after World War II.

The collection covers a broad range of objects, representative of a variety of artistic media including books, paintings, textiles, ceramics, furniture and lacquerware. Of particular interest is the impressive selection of Japanese scroll paintings and the 400 plus rare Japanese books.

“The Boone collection at The Field Museum gives a wonderful perspective on what daily life was like in East Asia during the early 20th century,” Dr. Feinman said. Some items can be viewed on-line at http://www.fmnh.org/research_collections/anthropology/anthro_sites/boone/index.html