“The finest of Earth”: The English East India Company’s enamelled porcelain trade at Canton during the eighteenth century
The innovation of enamels and enamel painting techniques on porcelain during the 1720s marked the establishment of a new type of porcelain product, which soon played a significant role in Chinese porcelain trade at Canton. Yet, the impact of this innovation on export trade has rarely been studied du...
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/artefact, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
| Pubblicazione: |
Artefact
2019
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| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | The innovation of enamels and enamel painting techniques on porcelain during the 1720s marked the establishment of a new type of porcelain product, which soon played a significant role in Chinese porcelain trade at Canton. Yet, the impact of this innovation on export trade has rarely been studied due to the lack of resource. By looking closely to the English East India Company Records, this paper demonstrates that enameled porcelain trade was dynamic and experienced different stages over the eighteenth century. We consider porcelain as a dynamic trade, which was shaped by consumers, artisans, craftsmen and commercial networks. Thanks to detailed records, we show that from the 1720s to the 1750s, enameled porcelain was traded as a new product and created a niche market for private business. After the late 1750s, enameled porcelain trade enjoyed a boost mainly due to the establishment of a manufacture in Canton. |
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