Azija me je povsem uročila

A Z I J A

M E J E

P O V S E M

A S I A

U R O Č I L A U T T E R L Y

B E W I T C H E D

M E

CIP - Kataložni zapis o publikaciji Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, Ljubljana 929Karlin A.(083.824) AZIJA me je povsem uročila : katalog občasne razstave ob 130. obletnici rojstva Alme M. Karlin in 100. obletnici njenega odhoda na pot okrog sveta = Asia utterly bewitched me : catalogue of the temporary exhibition marking the 130th anniversary of Alma M. Karlin’s birth and the centenary of her departure on her journey around the world / [avtorji kataloških besedil Barbara Trnovec ... [et al.] ; avtorice veznih besedil Barbara Trnovec ... [et al.] ; slikovno gradivo Pokrajinski muzej Celje, Rokopisna zbirka NUK, zasebna zbirka Helene Ojsteršek ; avtorica kataloških fotografij Nina Sovdat ; prevod Amidas in Mina Grčar]. - Celje : Pokrajinski muzej ; Ljubljana : Znanstvena založba Filozofske fakultete, 2019 ISBN 978-961-6411-38-7 (Pokrajinski muzej) 1. Vzp. stv. nasl. 2. Trnovec, Barbara, antropologinja COBISS.SI-ID 302055424

AZIJA ME JE POVSEM UROČILA Katalog občasne razstave ob 130. obletnici rojstva Alme M. Karlin in 100. obletnici njenega odhoda na pot okrog sveta

ASIA UTTERLY BEWITCHED ME Catalogue of the temporary exhibition marking the 130th anniversary of Alma M. Karlin‘s birth and the centenary of her departure on her journey around the world

Celje, Ljubljana, 2019

KAZALO CONTENTS »Azija me je povsem uročila« “Asia utterly bewitched me”

7

Čudo, ki se ga splača videti A wonder worth seeing

11

»Moja ljubljena Japonska« “My beloved Japan”

15

Popotni paradiž A traveller’s paradise

19

Skrivnostni Li Tieguai Mysterious Li Tieguai

23

Beg z otoka sanj Escape from the island of dreams

27

Katalog razstavljenih predmetov Catalogue of exhibits

32

Kabinet čudes Cabinet of wonder

33

Japonski lakirani predmeti Japanese lacquerware

55

Japonski lesorezi Japanese woodblock prints

59

Iz »dežele jutranje tišine« in »popotnega paradiža« From »the land of the morning calm«and »a traveller’s paradise«

71

Pahljače Fans

79

Tajvanski staroselci Taiwanese indigenous peoples

90

Vzhodnoazijske razglednice East Asian postcards

94

Viri in literatura References

107

Barbara Trnovec

»AZIJA ME JE POVSEM UROČILA« “ASIA UTTERLY BEWITCHED ME”

Alma M. Karlin (12. 10. 1889–14. 1. 1950), pisateljica in

Alma M. Karlin (12 October 1889–14 January 1950) was

novinarka, svetovna popotnica, ljubiteljska raziskovalka,

a writer, journalist, world traveller, amateur research-

poliglotka in teozofinja, je v letih 1919–1927 prepotovala

er, polyglot and theosophist who travelled the world

svet. Potovala je sama, neprekinjeno osem let in se po

from 1919 until 1927. She travelled alone, continuously,

poti preživljala z delom; med drugim s poučevanjem je-

for eight years, supporting herself by working: teaching

zikov – govorila jih je deset, če štejemo tudi slabo znanje

languages – she spoke ten, if we include her somewhat

slovenščine – ter s prevajanjem in pisanjem novinarskih

rudimentary Slovene –, translating and writing articles

prispevkov, ki so jih objavljali številni evropski časopisi.

for publication in numerous European newspapers. The

Narava njenega potovanja jo umešča med največje po-

nature of her journey places her among the greatest trav-

potnike vseh časov.

ellers of all times.

Na predvečer odhoda je na mamino vprašanje, zakaj gre,

On the evening before her departure, in reply to her

odgovorila: »Moram. Nekaj v meni me priganja in ne bom

mother’s question as to why she was going, she an-

našla miru, če ne bom sledila temu vzgibu.«1 To je bil »klic

swered: “Because I must. Something inside me is urg-

zadane naloge, ki je ni bilo mogoče zavrniti.« Na pot so jo

ing me, and I will not find peace if I do not obey this

gnali različni notranji vzgibi. »Kaj vse bom videla, se na-

impulse.”1 She held that “this is a task that has been al-

učila, dosegla. Kaj vse bom na poti odkrila, kaj prinesla

lotted to me and I cannot refuse its call.”2 She was driv-

s seboj, kaj vse dala človeštvu!« Na mamino vprašanje,

en by inner impulses. “All that I shall see, learn, achieve.

kdaj se vrne, je prepričano odgovorila, da čez dve leti in

All that I shall discover on my journey, the things I shall

pol, najpozneje čez tri, in dodala: »Potem boš lahko po-

bring home with me, all that I shall give to humanity!”3

nosna name.«4

When her mother asked her when she would return, she

2

3

replied confidently that she would be back in two and a Leto dni po koncu prve svetovne vojne in mesec dni po

half years, three at the latest, and added: “And then you

dopolnjenem tridesetem letu se je s skromnimi prihranki

can be proud of me.”4

odpravila od doma. S seboj je vzela kovček, v katerem je našel prostor tudi slovar desetih jezikov, ki ga je napisala

A year after the end of the First World War and a month

na roke, majhno usnjeno torbico in nepogrešljivi pisalni

after her thirtieth birthday, Karlin set off from home

stroj eriko. Celjska železniška postaja je bila temačna, pa-

with her modest savings. She took with her a suitcase, in

dal je droben, leden dež, bila je premražena do kosti. Ko

which space was found for a manuscript copy of her own

je na peron prispel prenapolnjen vlak, se je poslovila od

ten-language dictionary, a small leather handbag and

prijateljev, ki so jo pospremili na postajo, in vstopila. Bil je

her indispensable Erika typewriter. Celje railway station

ponedeljek, 24. novembra 1919.

was dark. A light, icy rain was falling and she was chilled to the bone. When the overcrowded train stopped at the

Želela si je odpotovati najprej na Japonsko, vendar je za-

platform, she bade farewell to the friends who had come

radi spleta okoliščin – pomanjkanja denarja ali ustreznih

to see her off and boarded her carriage. It was Monday,

potrdil – v Genovi kupila ladijsko vozovnico do najjužnej-

24 November 1919.

šega perujskega pristanišča Mollendo, razmišljajoč, »če vse poti vodijo v Rim, me bodo slej ko prej pripeljale tudi

Her original aim was to travel first to Japan, but as a re-

na Japonsko«.

sult of circumstances – lack of money or the wrong pa-

5

pers – she instead took passage at Genoa on a ship bound for Mollendo, the southernmost port in Peru, reasoning 1 Alma M. Karlin, Sama: Iz otroštva in mladosti. In lingua, Celje 2010 (dalje Sama), str.

307.

2 Alma M. Karlin, Samotno potovanje: Tragedija ženske. Celjska Mohorjeva družba, Celje 2007 (dalje Samotno), str. 8.

3 Sama, str. 306.

4 Prav tam, str. 307.

5 Samotno, str. 11.

8

1 Alma M. Karlin, Sama: Iz otroštva in mladosti. In lingua, Celje 2010 (hereinafter: Sama), p. 307.

2 Alma M. Karlin, Samotno potovanje: Tragedija ženske. Celjska Mohorjeva družba, Celje 2007 (hereinafter: Samotno), p. 8.

3 Sama, p. 306.

4 Ibid., p. 307.

Ko je pred 1. svetovno vojno nekaj let živela v Londonu, je

that “if all roads lead to Rome, sooner or later they will

tam prišla v stik z Indijci, Japonci in Kitajci, ki jih je pouče-

surely lead me to Japan.”5

vala tuje jezike, oni pa so ji približali različne vidike svojih kultur. »Azija me je povsem uročila,«6 je o tem zapisala v

When living in London for a few years before the First

avtobiografiji. V njej se je porodila želja, da bi šla na pot in

World War, she had come into contact with people from

te kulture spoznala neposredno. Čas, ki ga je pozneje pre-

India, Japan and China, to whom she had taught languag-

živela na Japonskem, v Koreji, na Kitajskem in na Formozi

es and who had introduced her to various aspects of their

(Tajvan), predstavljen na razstavi, je bil zanjo nenavadno

own cultures. “Asia utterly bewitched me,”6 she wrote in

srečen čas.

her autobiography. This was the seed of her desire to set out on a journey and experience these cultures for herself. The time she later spent in Japan, Korea, China and Formosa (Taiwan), presented at this exhibition, was for her an extraordinarily happy time.

6 Sama, str. 169.

5 Samotno, p. 11.

6 Sama, p. 169.

9

ČUDO, KI SE GA SPLAČA VIDETI A WONDER WORTH SEEING

Iz Peruja jo je pot vodila v Panamo, ZDA, na Havaje, od

From Peru, her journey took her to Panama, the USA and

tam končno na Japonsko, skozi Korejo na Kitajsko in For-

then Hawaii, from where she finally reached Japan. She

mozo (Tajvan), nato v Avstralijo, na Novo Zelandijo, sledi-

then travelled across Korea to China and Formosa (Tai-

la so tihomorska otočja Fidži, Novi Hebridi (Vanuatu) in

wan), before leaving for Australia and New Zealand. Next

Salomonovi otoki, nato Papua Nova Gvineja, Java, Tajska

came the Pacific archipelagos of Fiji, the New Hebrides

in Indija, od koder se je po osmih letih – najverjetneje

(Vanuatu) and the Solomon Islands, then Papua New

28. decembra 1927 – vrnila domov. Takrat je na celjski že-

Guinea, Indonesia (including Java), Thailand and India,

lezniški postaji doživela globoko razočaranje.

from where, after eight years she returned home – the most probable date being on 28 December 1927. On that

V lokalnem časopisu Cillier Zeitung, v katerem je med po-

occasion, a profound disappointment awaited her at Cel-

tovanjem »objavila okoli dvesto prispevkov«, je napove-

je railway station.

7

dala svojo vrnitev domov. Upala je, da jo bodo someščani pričakali z ovacijami, o čemer je pogosto sanjarila, to pa

Having announced her return home in the Cillier Zeitung,

se ni zgodilo. S postaje se je mimo nekdanje Nemške hiše

the local newspaper in which she had “published around

odpravila proti domu nasproti Narodnega doma. S kopji

200 articles”7 during her journey, she hoped that her fel-

z Nove Gvineje, dvema kovčkoma, v katerih je imela tudi

low citizens would be present to welcome her with cheers

raznovrstna semena in čaje, ter z eriko v rokah. Obleče-

and applause – a scene she had frequently pictured in her

na v rdeče-bel plašč, zagorela, povsem izčrpana. Kakšen

imagination – but this did not happen. From the station,

prizor je to bil!

she set off towards her home opposite the Narodni Dom, passing the former Deutsches Haus on her way. Clutching

Vedela je, da bo njena pot raziskovalke in pisateljice

spears from New Guinea, lugging two suitcases contain-

trnova. Pomanjkanje, težave, nevarnosti, bolezni – to

ing, among other things, a variety of seeds and teas, and

ceno je bila pripravljena plačati za vse, kar se je nove-

clasping her precious Erika. Dressed in a red-and-white

ga naučila na poti. Da pa doma niso prepoznali pomena

coat, sunburnt, and utterly exhausted. What a sight she

tega, kar je počela – tega ni mogla sprejeti. Razočaranje

must have made!

ob vrnitvi v Celje ponazarjajo njene besede: »Ali sem bila zato osem let na študijskem potovanju okoli sveta,

She knew that her path as a researcher and writer would

da sem se zdaj vrnila sem?! Bilo je, kot da bi se kdo od-

be a thorny one. Scarcities, difficulties, dangers, disease

peljal na luno in prinesel nazaj kamen, ki ga lahko najde

– this was a price she was prepared to pay for all the new

ob vsaki reki.«8

things she would learn on her journey. But the idea that people at home would not recognise the importance of

Kljub razočaranju je Karlinova v začetku januarja povabi-

what she had done was something she could not accept.

la »svoje ljube Celjane«, naj si pridejo ogledat njeno zbir-

Her disappointment on her return to Celje is illustrated

ko. In so prišli. »Od nekdaj sem veljala za čudakinjo. Zdaj

by her own words: “Was it for this that I had spent eight

pa so me prihajali gledat kot moje zbirke, kot čudo, ki se

years on a journey of study and discovery around the

ga splača videti.«9

world, to now return here? It was as though someone had travelled to the Moon and brought back a pebble he

Če ne doma, pa so jo v tujini sprejeli s spoštovanjem in

might have found by any stream.”8

občudovanjem. Njena predavanja po evropskih prestolnicah – na Dunaju, v Münchnu, Berlinu, Hamburgu,

At the beginning of January, despite her disappointment,

Londonu, Parizu in drugod – so bila deležna izjemne-

Karlin invited “my dear fellow citizens of Celje” to come

ga zanimanja. Slavo in uspeh, o katerih je sanjarila kot

and view her collection. And come they did. “I have long been considered an eccentric. Now they come to gawp at

7 Alma M. Karlin, Urok Južnega morja. Mohorjeva družba, Celje 1996 (dalje Urok), str.

101.

8 Urok, str. 382.

9 Prav tam, str. 383.

12

7 Alma M. Karlin, Urok Južnega morja. Mohorjeva družba, Celje 1996 (hereinafter: Urok), p. 101.

8 Urok, p. 382.

mlado dekle, so ji prinesli potopisi, ki so izšli v Nemčiji v

me as they do my collections, as though I were a wonder

letih 1929–1933. Prve izdaje in prvi ponatisi so izšli v na-

worth seeing.”9

kladi več kot 90 tisoč izvodov, končnih številk za zdaj še ne poznamo. Novinar New York Timesa je izid potopisov

Whatever her reception at home, in other countries she

leta 1933 pospremil z zapisom, da »je kot prva ženska

was received with respect and admiration. Her lectures

tako prepotovala svet«.10 Kakor kažejo doslej zbrani po-

in European capitals – Vienna, Munich, Berlin, Hamburg,

datki, ga pred njo tako ni prepotoval niti noben moški.

London, Paris and elsewhere – were the subject of enormous interest. The fame and success she had dreams of as a young girl finally arrived when her travel writings were published in Germany between 1929 and 1933.

The first editions and later reprintings ran to more than 90,000 copies, although final figures are not currently known. Following the publication of her trilogy in 1933, the New York Times reviewer noted that her trip around the world was “in its manner unprecedented for a woman”.10 As the details of her journey show, travelling the world in this manner was also unprecedented for a man.

10 Neznani avtor, »A German Trilogy of Travel.« New York Times, 26. 11. 1933.

9 Ibid., p. 383.

10 Unknown author, “A German Trilogy of Travel.” New York Times, 26. 11. 1933.

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»MOJA LJUBLJENA JAPONSKA« “MY BELOVED JAPAN”

Cena: 15 EUR

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