Rise of the Cultural Dragon - The PM woke him up
by Samuel Jones
Even though they might soon have their own diplomatic bags - they are off to the US when the show finishes here in April - it's a rare experience to see them. In fact, they're not all warriors, some are civil servants, others acrobats and some are generals - there are even cranes and geese. All date from about 200 BC, the manufaturers used their ingenuity to mix and match moulds, enabling them to convey a sense of individuality by giving the warriors different facial types and characteristics. One bird even cocks an eye at the viewer, a dart of life amidst his more placid companions, reminding us that this, after all, was Qin's bid for immortality.
The exhibition was launched on Tuesday by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. However, this was no mere exercise in ribbon cutting. Throughout the preliminary speeches, you couldn't help but notice a dragon, slumbering on the steps of the British Museums' Great Court. Only when the UK's Premier painted his eyes did the Dragon dance the Terracotta Warriors into action, ready to greet the 140,000 who have already booked their tickets to see them.
It was an interesting moment, inspired in part by the importance of Sino-UK relations, and in part because of the growing importance of interaction between different cultures. The popularity of culture is clear - not least from the 140,000 advance tickets. The Terracotta Warriors have also been in the papers, both national and international and on TV. Prime Minister Brown painting the eyes on the Dragon featured on the BBC's 10 O'Clock News. .
In Cultural Diplomacy, we noted how significant it can be when politicians recognise the importance of culture by attending openings in this way. It's important not so much for the diplomatic moment, but because it reflects a growing awareness that cultural events of this kind have impact in terms of both popularity and memory. They are also important becuase they provide a means of getting to grips with different nations and their cultures that is not political. This wasn't so much Gordon Brown using culture, as a it was a recognition that culture has real impact on what he does.
Sam Jones
One of the points we made in the pamphlet is that culture and politics aren't so easily separated any more. For an interesting account of a trip to Xi'an with the BM, see the current New Statesman.
Tom Richardson
Did you hear the discussion on the today programme? It was interesting to hear the British Museum representative trying to deny the polictal/diplomatic importance of the opening. She said something to the effect of "archaeology is not a diplomatic issue". Which, I think, summed up the reason why this is a perfect case study for cultural diplomacy...