Page 195 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 5 Porcelain Trade at Canton 1740-1760

mid-eighteenth century, as the production was also largely affected by factors

particular to the Qing Empire.

In the year 1751, both the VOC and the EEIC complained about how difficult it

was to get porcelain at Canton. The records confirm the short supply (Figure 5-1). The

year 1751 was the time that the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1795) launched his first

Southern Tour. 13 Apparently, his visit affected the porcelain production and

consequently affected trade at Canton. The EEIC confronted a situation that not so

many porcelains were available at Canton in the year 1751, as they complained, ‘Our

China ware gives us a good deal of trouble, there being but very little choice, and

comes down in very small parcels, which is the occasion of our not having finished as

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yet that article for Lord Anson.’ As we will see, the VOC had a similar experience,
in that according to Dutch records, dealers in Canton did not want to accept any orders

for porcelain ‘for the reason that the Emperor is scheduled to make a journey this year

from Peking to Nanking and to this end, according to the estimate, porcelain to the

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value of more than 30.000 taels has to be made.’ Records from the VOC and the

EEIC confirm that in the year 1751 Jingdezhen as a place of production was

commissioned to produce porcelain for the Emperor’s visit. Thus, it would be risky

for Canton merchants to buy porcelain from there, as there might be not so many.

In order to provide an impressive reception, the local government sought to

prepare a residence or a palace for the Qianlong Emperor’s short stay in 1751.

13 Qing emperors were the first to undertake multiple tours of inspection to all corners of the
empire. These personal inspection tours were part of a strategy for extending and solidifying
Manchu rule throughout the empire. During his 60-year reign, the Kangxi Emperor (r.1661-1722)
completed six southern inspection tours. The Qianlong Emperor, followed his example and also
made six southern tours. The imperial inspection tours of the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors were
unique in Chinese history.
14 IOR/G/12/55, 13 September 1751.
15 C.J.A. Jörg, Porcelain and the Dutch China trade (The Hague, 1982), p.123.
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