Gu 19th century

Curator: Here we have a fascinating artifact from 19th century China, currently residing here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It's identified simply as "Gu," and we know it was made by the Chin Shing (Golden Voice) Store, located in Canton. It is assembled using wood, but you can also see materials that classify it as collage, and as a type of sculpture. Editor: Well, it strikes me as rather utilitarian, but also possessing a ceremonial quality. The wood and what looks like leather combine to give it an earthy, grounded feeling. Curator: It is not just leather: See how the hide wraps the object, and is pierced to resemble crenellations? That almost fortress-like adornment is reinforced by the rattan base. I would say this form signals more than utility. Editor: You are right. I see that, the crenellations resemble city walls. So what is its deeper symbolic weight? And the character writing, what is it advertising, or signifying? Curator: The characters most likely mark this as product or storage container that represents a respected trading location. "Golden Voice Store" tells us this mercantile spot values speaking, and specifically quality sound, and in Guangzhou, these marks carried the force of law when arbitrating transactions. Editor: So it is something between advertisement and heraldry. But the overall effect is somewhat unsettling. It almost looks like a helmet—or perhaps even a reliquary, even though that wouldn’t be the item’s social purpose in actuality. Curator: Indeed. In a society heavily shaped by Confucian principles and dynastic order, commercial signage possessed potent socio-political value that resonates even now. We may impose contemporary feelings, but in doing so, we encounter enduring concepts that persist even now. Editor: An emblem that whispers secrets of a distant time, I find this so inspiring. Curator: For me, it is testament to the long lifespan and resilience of markets to adopt ever shifting practices and codes that regulate social practices.