Page 223 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 6 A New Context of Porcelain Trade 1760-1770

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sought only to carry on their small trade as usual.’ It was unclear from the 1755

regulations whether the private trade with supercargoes was charged with duties or

not. It is not known whether the 1755 regulation imposing collective responsibility on

registered shopkeepers was enforced, or how long and how carefully this regulation

was supervised. Although it seemed that the declaration was quite clear that these

shopkeepers were listed and each Hong merchant was responsible for a group of them,

in practice, it did not necessarily work exactly according to this plan; at least from the

EEIC’s records, the trade with these shopkeepers would never become a concern again.

It is quite clear that the local government did not pay much attention to restraining

the trade but left the power to the Hong merchants, which was already in practice for

a long time. Thus, regulations in 1755 did not bring any negative impact to the

porcelain trade. On the contrary, it reaffirmed the network and partnership between

Hong merchants and non-Hong merchants. It also reaffirmed the legal authority of

outside merchants’ retail trade.

Porcelain dealers appeared to benefit from this new regulation, as ‘China ware’

dealers were permitted to tender on equal terms with monopolists to supply Europeans;

neither a luxury item like silk nor a consumable and perishable like tea, this staple

was a household item of comparatively low value, but large market; it was shipped as

a lining for the holds of ships, partly as a ballast and partly to keep the tea chests and

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silk off the damp and seepage at the bottom of ships.

27 Ibid.
28 Cheong, Hong Merchants, p.94.
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