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| Artifact: Commemorative Scarf from Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Date: 1897 Producer: Unknown Material: White china silk |
What is it?
The
artifact I chose is a scarf made in 1897 that was intended to commemorate Queen
Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The manufacturer of the artifact is unknown but the
scarf is made from white china silk. The center of the scarf depicts three
images of Queen Victoria. One portrait is from the beginning of her reign, one
is from the middle, and one is from the time of the Jubilee. There is script
above and below these images. The top portion reads “Her Gracious Majesty
Victoria” and the portion below reads, “Queen of Great Britain and Empress of
India”. Along the border of the scarf are the names of the 24 countries that
were members of the British Empire at the time. A particular focus is given to
India, England, Scotland, and Ireland as these countries make up the corners
and are particularly embellished with decorative coats of arms.
Context
The
Diamond Jubilee was an event celebrated not just in England, but
internationally as well. It took place on June 22, 1897 and was a 6-mile
procession through the streets of London featuring 17 carriages and
representatives from all of Victoria’s dominion countries. Particularly
prominent were the Indian cavalry that escorted Victoria’s carriage. In short,
the event was a blatant display of imperialism, as Victoria literally paraded
her colonies around London in an attempt to show her people, and the rest of
the world, how strong the British Empire actually was.
The images presented on the scarf
symbolically reflect these ideas of imperialism and British power. Victoria
herself serves as the focal point of the scarf, indicating that she remains the
most important part of the empire. In addition, laurel wreaths surround her
images and she is depicted wearing crowns and jewelry, reflecting the Empire’s
wealth and prosperity. In contrast, the colonies are shown on the outer borders
of the scarf, indicating that they are of lesser importance than England. It is
also interesting to note which countries were positioned in the corners of the
scarf. Scotland, England, Ireland, and India were given special attention and
the designs for these countries are especially ornate. It’s possible that these
countries were seen as the most relevant and important colonies to England.
Scotland and Ireland are close to England geographically and have long
histories with England so it makes sense that the English would see them as important.
India, however, was a fairly recent acquisition, Victoria was crowned Empress
of India in 1877, but it was still seen as important enough to take up a corner
of the scarf. This is because India was seen as the “jewel in the crown” and
was highly valued by England for the resources it provided. Interestingly, one
of the most valued resources extracted from India was silk, since India had
access to silk from China. Ironically, this scarf is made from silk that was
probably from India. So this scarf, which portrays the imperialistic
relationship between England and India, is made from a resource received
directly from that imperialism.
By creating this scarf and then
selling it as a souvenir, the manufacturer effectively trivializes the
important issues associated with imperialism. England was proud of their
colonies and viewed them as possessions, ignoring the harmful effects that
their influence had on the colonies. The English were so proud of their vast
empire that they purchased and wore a scarf that bragged about their colonial
acquisitions.
Relation to Text
In
a general sense, the ideas of imperialism represented in the scarf relate to
the themes of imperialism that are present in all of the texts we’ve read in
the course. Specifically, it connects with The
Moonstone, as that novel criticizes the imperialistic relationship between
England and India. In the novel, most of the story takes place in England,
which reaffirms the assertion on the scarf that England is the central and most
important part of the empire. There could also be a connection between the
actual Moonstone, which is a cursed Indian jewel, and the idea that India was
considered “the jewel in the crown”. In The
Moonstone, the jewel is extremely important and valued in India for its
religious importance. However, when the English take it, it becomes cursed and
is the center of a crime scene. Perhaps Collins is playing with the metaphor of
India being a jewel but is suggesting a darker relationship between the two
countries. While Collins criticizes the imperial relationship between England
and India, the scarf does the opposite.
I also see a relationship between
the ideas presented in the scarf and the philosophy of Herbert Spencer. Spencer
argued that it was natural for societies to grow more complex and advanced with
time. He writes, “The orderly progress from simplicity to complexity, displayed
by bodies-politic in common with living bodies, is a characteristic which
distinguishes living bodies from the inanimate bodies amid which they move”
(Spencer 9). He claims it is “orderly”
for societies to become more complex. He later distinguishes between savage and
civilized societies, arguing that civilized societies continue to grow, “In
complexity, our large civilized nations as much exceed primitive savage tribes”
(Spencer 9). The imagery on the scarf seems to agree with this idea. Spencer’s
theory somewhat justifies the ideas of imperialism. It is likely that the
British saw their massive and always expanding empire as natural and even a
sign of civilization. If they believed this, then it would have been easy to
justify wearing a scarf that blatantly promoted imperialism.
Artifact Link: http://0-library.artstor.org.helin.uri.edu/library/welcome.html#3%7Csearch%7C6%7CAll20Collections3A20victoria20diamond20jubilee%7CFiltered20Search%7C%7C%7Ctype3D3626kw3Dvictoria20diamond20jubilee7Call26geoIds3D26clsIds3D26collTypes3D26id3Dall26bDate3D26eDate3D26dExact3D26prGeoId3D26origKW3Dvictoria20diamond20jubilee7Call
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