The Chinese Museum in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

 showed to the public some 41 cases displaying approximately 800 objects related to Chinese fine arts, agriculture, costume, and other customs. It was located on Washington Street

Washington Street (Boston)

Washington Street is a street originating in downtown Boston, Massachusetts that extends southwestward to the Massachusetts-Rhode Island state line. The majority of it was built as the Norfolk and Bristol Turnpike in the early nineteenth century...

 in the Marlboro Chapel (between Bromfield and Winter

Winter Street (Boston)

Winter Street in Boston, Massachusetts is located between Tremont Street and Washington Street, near the Common. It is currently a pedestrian zone. Prior to 1708, it was called Blott's Lane and then Bannister's Lane.-See also:* Downtown Crossing...

 Streets)
Items exhibited included:

• "Long-gans
  Longan
  Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as the longan, is a tropical tree native to South and Southeast Asia, in the Indomalaya ecozone known for its edible fruit.-Vernacular names:The fruit is known as longan or longyan in English...
  
  . 'Dragon's eyes': so called from their resemblance to the ball of the eye: a favorite fruit with the Chinese, but not suited to the palate of 'barbarians.'"
• "Vermicelli
  Vermicelli
  Vermicelli is a traditional type of pasta round in section that is thicker than spaghetti.-Vermicelli thickness comparison:In USA, the National Pasta Association, founded in 1904, lists, together with various spelling mistakes, vermicelli as a thinner type of spaghetti.-History in Italy:In...
  
  , made and extensively used by the Chinese in soups, of which they are fond and make a great variety."
• "Nanking
  Nanjing
  ' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
  
   machine toys of different construction. These toys contain machinery inside, and when wound up possess the power of locomotion for a short time."
• "Different kinds of caps worn by gentlemen in winter."
• "Enameled Jos vase to hang on the wall beneath the painting of an idol. This is made in the form of half an oo-loo
  Calabash
  Lagenaria siceraria , bottle gourd, opo squash or long melon is a vine grown for its fruit, which can either be harvested young and used as a vegetable, or harvested mature, dried, and used as a bottle, utensil, or pipe. For this reason, the calabash is widely known as the bottle gourd...
  
   or bottle gourd, a Chinese emblem of longevity."
• "Ee-een. The two stringed fiddle. The rebeck
  Rebec
  The rebecha is a bowed string musical instrument. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 strings and is played on the arm or under the chin, like a violin.- Origins :The rebec dates back to the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries...
  
  of the Chinese."
• "Tai-Kam. The bass fiddle. This is very much like the ee-een, except that the drum is made of cocoa nut shell instead of bamboo, and its notes are gruffer."
• "Facsimilie of an apartment in a wealthy Chinaman's dwelling. ... A large and beautiful screen made of paintings on glass; chairs and tables made of king wood with variegated marble tops, superbly embroidered door screen, vase containing a peacock feather fan of 200 eyes, fruit upon the table, scrolls on the wall, lanterns suspended from the ceiling, &c. &c."

By 1847 the museum "ceased to be attractive and profitable, and ... was removed to Philadelphia."

Further reading

• John R. Peters, Jr. Guide to, or descriptive catalogue of the Chinese Museum: in the Marlboro' Chapel, Boston, with miscellaneous remarks upon the government, history, religions, literature, agriculture, arts, trade, manners and customs of the Chinese. Boston: Eastburn's Press, 1845.
• John R. Peters, Jr. Miscellaneous remarks upon the government, history, religions, literature, agriculture, arts, trades, manners, and customs of the Chinese: as suggested by an examination of the articles comprising the Chinese museum, in Marlboro' Chapel, Boston. Boston: Eastburn's Press, 1845.
• John Ross Dix. "A visit to the Chinese Museum." Local loiterings and visits in the vicinity of Boston. Redding & Co., 1845; p.105+
• James H. Lanman. Chinese Museum in Boston. Hunt's Merchants' Magazine, April 1846.
• Ronald J. Zboray and Mary Saracino Zboray. Between "Crockery-Dom" and Barnum: Boston's Chinese Museum, 1845-47. American Quarterly, Vol. 56, No. 2 (Jun., 2004), pp. 271-307.