◎文 ∕ 佛館國際組 ◎圖 佛陀紀念館
◎Text ∕ Buddha Museum International Affairs Department◎Photos ∕ Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum
美國史密森尼亞洲藝術博物館蔡斯・羅賓遜館長及佛館館長如常法 師、佛光祖庭宜興大覺寺信徒總代表趙元修、趙辜懷箴伉儷合影
美國史密森尼亞洲藝術博物館館長蔡斯・羅賓遜（Chase F. Robinson）2月28日首度訪台，於佛光山佛陀紀念館發表「國立亞洲藝術博物館的第二個世紀：博物館作為全球資源」專題講座，分享亞洲藝術博物館的發展方向與未來布局，吸引台美博物館界重要人士與學者到場交流。
演講中，蔡斯·羅賓遜館長分享了館方理念的深刻轉變。對現代博物館而言，僅僅「擁有」歷史已遠遠不夠；真正的挑戰在於如何釐清這些歷史文物的來源，並對其取得過程負起全責。
美國史密森尼亞洲藝術博物館館長蔡斯・羅賓遜發表專題演講
佛光山住持心保和尚致贈「和諧共生 馬到成功」匾額予蔡斯・羅賓遜館長
佛館館長如常法師致贈《星光雲水—星雲大師筆墨情懷》予 蔡斯・羅賓遜館長
該館展現了極大的決心，聘請了四名全職人員專門從事「文物來源研究」（ProvenanceResearch）。羅賓森館長指出，全球很少有同等規模的博物館擁有如此充足的專責人力，甚至規模大上五到十倍的機構，其相關員工往往更少。這項投入主要基於三個核心理由：敘事價值、社會責任，以及確保館藏的完整性。
第一個理由是為了講述更完整的故事。文物不僅是美學的呈現，更是「旅者」。透過追溯物品的流轉過程，博物館能深入探討傳家寶的意義、物件的遷移，以及其象徵意義隨時間產生的質變。這些故事讓展廳中的展品更具生命力與人文溫度。
其次，博物館必須正面處理走私問題。羅賓森館長坦誠表示，過去幾十年間，許多博物館與私人收藏家都曾受益於非法市場。為了導正此風氣，該館現在積極展出曾被走私並被聯邦調查局（FBI）攔截的文物，並訓練執法人員如何辨識非法貿易的藏品。
最後，則是關於文物的返還政策。最令人矚目的觀點在於，該館正朝向以「倫理」而非單純「法律」為基準的歸還程序。近期，該館主動向印度與柬埔寨歸還了多件文物。這些行動並非源於對方的法律訴求，而是館方經由自行研究後，認為原始取得方式不合乎倫理，進而主動採取行動。
佛館館長如常法師為蔡斯・羅賓遜館長介紹麥積山石窟藝術展
蔡斯・羅賓遜館長欣賞華彩萬象石窟藝術沉浸體驗之敦煌石窟壁畫的畫面
Chase F. Robinson, Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, made his first visit to Taiwan on February 28. During his visit to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, he delivered a keynote lecture titled: “The Second Century of the National Museum of Asian Art: Museum as Global Resource.” In the talk, he shared the museum’s development direction and future plans, drawing prominent figures and scholars from the Taiwanese and American museum communities for dialogue and exchange.
In the presentation, Director Chase Robinson shared a profound shift in institutional philosophy. It is no longer sufficient for a museum to simply “possess” history; the real challenge lies in accounting for how that history was acquired and taking full responsibility for its provenance.
The museum has demonstrated a strong commitment by employing four full-time staff dedicated solely to provenance research. Director Robinson noted that few museums of comparable size–or even those many times larger–invest in such specialized personnel. This investment is driven by three core motivations: the power of storytelling, social responsibility, and the absolute integrity of their collection.
The first reason is to tell a more complete story. Artifacts are not just merely aesthetic objects; they are, in a sense, “travelers.” By tracing the passage of an object, the museum can explore the deep histories of family heirlooms, their movement across borders, and how their meanings have evolved over time. These narratives breathe life and human warmth into the gallery displays.
Secondly, museums must confront the reality of smuggling. Director Robinson candidly acknowledged that over the past several decades, many museums and private collectors have benef ited from illegal markets. To counter this, the museum now actively displays artifacts that were smuggled and intercepted by the FBI, while also training law enforcement officials to spot illicitly traded goods.
Finally, there is the matter of repatriation. Perhaps the most striking takeaway is the museum’s move toward a policy based on "ethics" rather than just "legality." Recently, the museum proactively returned several artifacts to India and Cambodia. These actions were not triggered by legal demands from those countries, but by the museum’s own research, which deemed the original acquisitions unethically sourced.
“Very few museums have policies that allow returns for ethical reasons, not legal reasons,” Robinson concluded. By prioritizing transparency and self-reflection, the National Museum of Asian Art is setting a new international benchmark for the stewardship of cultural heritage.
蔡斯・羅賓遜館長在館長如常法師陪同下，由行政暨國際組副主任有律法師導覽介紹佛教海線絲路新媒體藝術特展
美國史密森尼亞洲藝術博物館蔡斯・羅賓遜館長一行參訪佛光山大雄寶殿，佛光山常務副住持慧傳法師及館長如常法師共同合影
美國史密森尼亞洲藝術博物館館長蔡斯・羅賓遜(Chase F. Robinson)2月28日於佛陀紀念館發表「國立亞洲藝術博物館的第二個世紀：博物館作為全球資源」專題講座之後大合照
#佛光山 #佛陀紀念館 #喬達摩 #GAUTAMA #BuddhaMuseum #ChaseRobinson #Smithsonian # AsianArt
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