Page 13 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

Abstract

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 consumption, both domestically and globally.

Yet, the impact of this innovation on production and consumption has rarely been

studied. This thesis addresses this gap by offering a historical perspective on

eighteenth century Chinese enamelled porcelain, its production and consumption,

both in domestic and export markets.

It is demonstrated that both the Qing court and the local manufactures responded

actively to new technological developments. Following the discussion on how the

court and local manufactures interacted and the technology was transferred, my thesis

continues to demonstrate the impact of technological innovation on the domestic and

export markets. It has shown in domestic market, enamelled porcelain was not only

consumed by the imperial court, as current scholarship assumed, rather it had reached

a wider set of consumers. In terms of export porcelain trade, my detailed examinations

and analyses of the English East India Company Records demonstrate that enamelled

porcelain played significant roles over different periods.

Overall, this research contributes to knowledge about enamelled porcelain

consumption in eighteenth-century China and beyond, and also sheds light on the

study of Chinese porcelain and the Chinese porcelain trade. The discussion on the

enamelled porcelain trade between China and the English East India Company during

the eighteenth century provides a detailed insight into how the Chinese porcelain trade

developed and changed over time.

x