Page 288 - The colours of each piece: production and consumption of Chinese enamelled porcelain, c.1728-c.1780

CHAPTER 8 Conclusion

stages. During the period between 1729 and 1740, I demonstrated that enamelled

porcelain, which appeared as a new type of porcelain in the market, brought new

commercial opportunities, especially for small dealers who were not Hong merchants.

In regard to the period from 1740 to 1760, my research brought to light new

information, hitherto unknown to scholars of Chinese export porcelain trade. By

collecting data from the EEIC records, I was able to show that the enamelled porcelain

trade increased steadily, while the blue and white porcelain trade fluctuated. In

contrast to current studies that are usually associated with the export trade of the

Company, I have shown the factors at play on the China side. The discussion

surrounding the period 1740-1760 also contributed to the issue of Canton enamelled

porcelain production, based on data and textual records, and I argued that during this

period, there were few enamel workshops producing enamelled porcelain.

I have also shown a series of events that occurred during the period 1750s and

have demonstrated their impact on the porcelain trade. I have argued that these events

promoted the porcelain trade, and resulted in the establishment of enamelled porcelain

workshops in Canton. Finally, I discussed the role of porcelain dealers at Canton. As

the main suppliers to the export market, the porcelain dealers and their role in the trade

have never been studied before. In contrast to present studies that tend to see Chinese

merchants individually, I have viewed these dealers as a group or a network. In so

doing, I have been able to demonstrate that Chinese porcelain dealers have promptly

and actively responded to different market demands and opportunities.

With regard to methodology, my thesis has provided a number of perspectives to

facilitate the study of the Chinese porcelain trade. The records of the EEIC may be

used as the primary source for analysing the export porcelain trade. My thesis has also

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