Page 261 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 7 Porcelain Dealers and their Role in Trade

eighteenth century, at the entrance door of each shop, there were placed two or three

long sign boards, and each of these was painted upon either in gold, or vermilion, or

other bright colours, large characters were set forth, giving not only the name by which

the shop, or store is distinguished, but also, the nature of the commodities which it

contained. The names of the porcelain shops and the use of the columns explaining

their specialities were a direct, deliberate advertisement. Such an improvement can

also be seen in the shop design. The earlier shops consisted of a simple wooden frame;

they could not support much decoration, and were simply frames for the display of

goods. The later ones, on the other hand, were decorated intensively.

Secondly, the availability of space sharply increased throughout the eighteenth

century. We do not know the exact size of the shop; however, by judging from their

looks, it is easy to trace efforts to expand and restructure interiors, upgrade and

refashion the style of exteriors, and increase the size of doors. More particularly, the

number of evolved local labours increased, and the shopkeeper of a later period

usually employed assistants or craftsmen. From this comparison, we may see how

Chinese shopkeeper adapted their business to increasing demand from foreign traders.

For example, porcelain shops of the 1730s only show one shopkeeper, but in the 1750s,

the number of persons increased to two (Figure 7-4). Later we see that more labourers

were involved. (Figure 7-3)

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