John Barrow, a member of the British mission, blamed its failure on the inability of Qing courtiers to understand the ingenuity of British instruments. He praised the “imitative powers” of the Chinese, but concluded that their “labour does not always appear to be bestowed with judgment.”
Ingenuity or imitation?
The four sundials shown in Images 1–4 question this contrast between Western ingenuity and Eastern imitation. Together, they demonstrate intriguing similarities in design between European and Chinese makers. But who copied whom?