Brief aan Philip Zilcken Possibly 1885

This letter to Philip Zilcken was written in 1885 by Gustaaf Schlegel, a Dutch sinologist and diplomat known for his extensive study of Chinese culture and language. The letter provides a glimpse into Schlegel's deep engagement with Chinese texts. His interpretation and translation of Chinese characters reflect a specific moment in history, when Western understanding of non-Western cultures was often filtered through colonial perspectives. Schlegel’s work, while academically rigorous for its time, can be seen as participating in the construction of an image of the "Orient" as exotic and knowable. It's important to remember that the act of translation is not neutral; it reflects the translator's own cultural and historical context. Schlegel’s letter is a window into both his personal intellectual pursuits and the broader dynamics of cultural exchange and power during the height of European colonialism. It reminds us to critically examine how knowledge is produced and disseminated across cultures.