ABSTRACT
Artefacts attributed to the Yuanmingyuan were exhibited in Britain as trophies, curiosities, and objects dart. Spoils were also integrated into the design reform movement. A number of scholars have examined the politics of Asian exhibitions in Victorian Britain, showing how displays re-contextualized objects to support notions of progress, cultural superiority, and empire. During the 1860s, smaller industrial art exhibitions in manufacturing towns also featured Yuanmingyuan material. The British soldiers who looted the Yuanmingyuan might have been surprised to learn that some of their treasure would be mounted for display in the cause of design reform. The 1861 exhibitions constitute a turning point in the presentation of Chinese art in Britain and Yuanmingyuan spoils appear to have played a prominent role. The Chinese Court at the 1862 International Exhibition of the Industrial Arts and Manufactures mirrored the politics of other "Oriental" displays in Victorian Britain. The industrial art exhibitions featuring objects linked with the Yuanmingyuan occurred in museums.
