This research is part of a collaborative exhibit project between the Department of Archaeology, School

of History, Renmin University of China and the Unity of Classical Archaeology at the University of Ge⁃

neva, aimed at comparing traditions of copying in ancient China and Mediterranean Antiquity.

The act of copying allows shape, object or theme to travel between different spheres of human activity,

leading to a change in value. This paper adopts a cross-cultural and trans-historical point of view on

the value of copies in ancient China and Mediterranean Antiquity, on the history of their transmission,

and on their evolving function during the digital age.

A comparative history of copying will be retraced for two types of artefacts: sculpture for classical An⁃

tiquity and calligraphy for ancient China. While the two fields may seem very far apart - embodiment

and modelling for sculpture VS linearity and flexibility for calligraphy - the copying phenomena that

brought them to us follow parallel and similar paths, as we will demonstrate.

Across time and space, the act of copying does not only duplicate an item, but also extracts it from its

original context, meaning and function, to then re-evaluate it according to evolving social, economic or

religious needs. This paper explores 2500 years of copying process until the 20th century, when the de⁃

velopment of new technologies allows the dematerialization of artefacts and their wider diffusion, open⁃

ing up new perspectives for comparative studies.