Page 21 - Export Porcelain and Globakization- GOOD READ

inter-Asian trade activities of the VOC by having analyzed the daily reports
(Dagh-Registers) of VOC officials in Asia from 1602 to 1682. The second import
period from 1683 to 1728 is unfortunately less documented. The third and last import
period of the Dutch from 1729 to 1795 is almost perfectly documented and analyzed
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by C.J.A. Jörg . But this is the subject of one of the following sections covering the
Canton system.
After unsuccessful missions to Beijing and unable to establish direct trade, the
Dutch again made use of the Chinese junk traffic with Batavia. When the Dutch were
not allowed to go to China, they invited Chinese to come to their headquarters on Java
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Island. On average 14 junks arrived every year in Batavia carrying Kangxi blue and
white porcelain (plates 48 – 61), Famille Verte porcelain (plates 69 – 72) and the
brown glazed so-called Batavia porcelain (plates 73 – 76) according to the taste of
their customers from far away. The indirect China trade via Batavia lasted until 1729
when the VOC decided to make use of the (only) officially open window of China –
the harbor of Canton. However, now porcelain was not the center of Dutch demand, it
had been overtaken by a new product, which not only attracted a new European
competitor but also would change the course of the 19th century balance of power
between China and the West: tea.
The variety and quality of porcelain exported to Europe had increased in the
after-war period in comparison to the pre-war Kraak ware. The blue and white ware
was of good quality with a very white and translucent shard and careful underglaze
blue painting. The difference between the high-quality porcelain for the domestic
imperial use (guanyao) and the export ware was not big even though these days the
prejudice of low export quality still dominates the perception of Chinese collectors.
What were the main differences between the Kangxi export porcelains and the items
for domestic use? Around 80 pieces of imperial Kangxi porcelain are listed in the
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Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum . This is no doubt the
highest standard. But it would be not fair to compare applied art for export purposes
with fine arts made for the Emperor. But even here we can partly answer the question.
First, it is not the quality of the material. Second, the shapes of export ware and
domestic ware are similar, but differ in size. The biggest difference is in the finesse of
the blue underglaze painting.
Pic. 9: Emperor Kangxi (1654 – 1722), third emperor of the Qing dynasty

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