Page 96 - Chinese and japanese porcelain silk and lacquer Canepa

silver in abundance’. From the court minutes of the EIC of July 1614, we learn Documentary evidence of the presence of Chinese silk in England in the early
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that silk was bought as special commissions for private individuals in England, as it seventeenth century is scarce. Thus a few surviving inventories listing silk cloths and/
states: ‘China taffetas of all colours to be sent to Countess of Suffolk according to or furnishings from China are of particular importance to this study. They give us
her request’. As noted by Lux, after Thomas Aidworth informed his superiors in an idea of the various types of silk imported and their uses. The earliest reference
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London from Masulipatam in August of that year that English broadcloth would not dates to 1601, just a year after the establishment of the EIC. It is an inventory of the
sell in East Asia, the EIC servants began to buy silk in increasingly larger quantities contents of Hardwick Hall, an Elizabethan house built by Elizabeth Talbot, Countess
and made profit on taking raw silk from Patani to Japan. It was reported that John of Shrewsbury (1520–1608) in Derbyshire, taken immediately after its completion
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Jourdain (1572–1619) bought raw silk from Chinese junks at Bantam that same year, and furnishing, which lists a large quantity of silk cloths and furnishings, but only one
but there was no mention of the purchase price. specified as from China. A silk cloth is listed as ‘a Counterpoynt of China cloth of
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In February 1615, John Jourdain writes from Bantam informing the EIC that golde with a pane of white imbrodered with yellowe and grene silk lace and fringe,
‘Five China junks arrived with store of silks, but dares not disburse any money until and lined with blewe taffaty’ among the contents of the wardrobe of the ‘olde building
other ships come with a fresh supply; the Hollanders in a similar situation’. Richard at Hardwick’.
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Westby informed the EIC this same month of the ‘Arrival of the Globe from the It appears that larger quantities of silk were available in England by the next
Coromandel coast, and her lading for England, which includes pepper, China silks, decade. This is suggested by an inventory taken upon the death of Henry Howard, Earl
and a large parcel of diamonds from Succadana’. of Northampton, in June 1614, which lists a variety of costly silk cloth and furnishings,
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A letter sent from Macassar this same year by George Cokayne to Sir Thomas as well as carpets, porcelain and furniture from China. The furnishings listed among
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Smythe states that ‘On the 13th December here arrived a small junk sent from Bantam the ‘Household-stuffe at London’ include ‘a field bedstead of China worke blacke and
to visit both this factory and Sacadania, which brought in her 678 / catties China silver branched with silver with the Armes of the Earle of Northampton upon the
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of raw Lankine silk; which had come to a very good market, but within three days head peece, the toppe and valance of purple velvet striped downe with silver laces and
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after arrived here a China junk (it being the first that ever came to this place) bringing knottes of silver, the frindge blewe silke and silver with 8 cuppes and plumes spangled
great store of raw silks, woven silks, porcelain and all other China commodities, selling suteable…’; ‘Item one China cushen imbrodered with birds, beasts, and flowers,
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it here cheaper than Bantam. Now considering the long time this vessel was to stay the ground of white Grogeron lined with yelowe taffeta’; ‘Imprimis one Tester with
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here before the monsoon would serve for to go for Sacadania, it was thought good head and double balance fringed, and 7 curtens, whereof fowre are made upp, and
to employ her for Banda, I having sold little of the clothing left here with me (it 3 unmade, the stuffe of China taffeta white embroidered with birdes and flowers. A
being sorts not fitting for this country)’. In August, George Cockayne wrote from counterpoint suteable lined with watchett Taffeta’; ‘another China quilte stiched in
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Sambarrppa to John Jourdain at Bantam informing him that ‘The cloth that fits for chequer worke with yealowe silke the grownde white’. Only one type of silk cloth
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this place being Dragons and Pettas Vermillia at 40 mas the corge; ordinary Baftas, is listed as ’13 yeardes and a quarter of purple golde velvet China with flower de luces
8 corge sold at 35 per corge; Biraamyes, 6 corge at 35 per corge; all the raw silk at 6 and diamond worke’.
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½ mas per cattie; 8 picules of gumlac 16 mas per picull’. From a letter written in An inventory taken in February 1638 after the death of Anne, Viscountess
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October of that same year, we learn that the English were competing with the Dutch to 324 bid., p. 210. Dorchester, lists silk cloth as ‘5 peeces of white Cheney damaske [sic]’, valued at £16
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buy silk in Patani. He states that ‘considering the doubtfulness of employments which 325 CPS, Colonial. ‘East Indies: July 1614’. Sainsbury, 338 Lindsay Boynton (ed.), ‘The Hardwick Hall Inventories among the contents of ‘the great barrd trunck [sic]’. There are also ‘2 yards ¼ of
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Volume 2, 1513–1616, 1864, p. 301. Accessed of 1601’, The Furniture History Society, London, 1971,
is expected in Patania, by reason that the Hollander layeith wait for all the silk that September 2014. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/ p. 1. cheney damaske’ listed among the contents of ‘the Greene Velvet Cabinet’. The
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cal-state-papers/colonial/east-indies-china-japan/ 339 bid., p. 40.
comes hiter, they having, partly by their own means and partly by the ill-usage of the vol2/pp301–313. 340 This manuscript, possibly the original inventory, large quantities of jewelry, plate, tapestries, soft furnishings, beds, tables and cabinets,
Chinese in Patania, drawn all the junks to Sangora, where they have a factory settled 326 East Indies: July 1614’, CPS, Colonial, Volume 2, was discovered among the collection of writings many of them imported, listed in the inventory testify to the wealth of the Viscountess
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1513–1616, 1864, p. 312 and 325. Mentioned in Lux, belonging to the Baroness North at Wroxton,
and no man without their licence may buy any there, so that a very small quantity is to 2014, p. 152. Oxfordshire. Published as ‘An Inventory of the Dorchester’s household.
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be hoped for’. In a letter written in December, Captain Ralph Coppindall informs 327 East Indies: July 1614’, CPS, Colonial, Volume 2, Effects of Henry Howard, K.G., Earl of Northampton, Although limited, the textual sources discussed above suggest that the English
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1513–1616, 1864, p. 325. Mentioned in Lux, 2014, p. taken on his death in 1614, together with a transcript
the merchants Robert Larkin and Adam Denton at Patani that in September he left 152. of his Will; prefaced by a Letter to Charles Spencer were requesting specific types of silks, including sowering silk (most likely sawing silk,
Perceval, Esq., LL.D., Director, from EVELYN
Hirado in Japan ‘towards the Emperor’s court with a present (which every ship or junk 328 East Indies: February 1615’, CPS, Colonial, Volume 2: PHILIP SHIRLEY, Esq., F.S.A., Local Secretary for as will be shown in the following pages), twisted silk and raw silk, to be imported into
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1513–1616, 1864, p. 376-389.
that cometh hither must of force perform), which with changes much surmounteth Warwickshire’, in Royal Society of Antiquaries, England as early as 1607. Seven years later, silk was being bought as special commissions
329 Sacadania is mentioned in many EIC documents. It Archaeologia: or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to
an indifferent custom, especially when a ship cometh with a small capital, and sales may have referred to Republic of Sacadania, which Antiquity, Society of Antiquaries of London, Vol. for private individuals, who belonged to the English nobility. At about this time, the
declared independence from Somalia. XLII, London, 1869, pp. 347–374.
so base and slack that nothing is here to be expected but loss, except a trade procured EIC servants realized, as the VOC would do some years later, that great profits could
330 Danvers and Foster, Vol. III, 1899, p. 320, note 3 from 341 bid., p. 355.
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into China, the raw silks of which country are always here ready money and reasonable page 137. 342 bid., p. 360. be obtained if they participated in the trade of silk from Patani to Japan, and thus
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profit’. That same month, John Jourdain sent a letter from Bantam to the East India 331 bid., p. 137. 343 bid., p. 361. began to buy silk in increasingly larger quantities from Chinese junks. The English,
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332 The author was not able to find the geographical
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Company informing that ‘There is laden in this ship in pepper 12,529 sacks, 48 chests location of this place. 344 bid., p. 364. however, had to compete with the Dutch to buy silk in Patani. Chests of silks of all
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345 bid., p. 363.
of China silk, wrought and raw’. The following year, in 1616, John Jourdain wrote 333 Danvers and Foster, 1899, Vol. III, p. 151. sorts, including raw and woven silks, were shipped to England. Surviving inventories
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346 Francis W. Steer (ed.), ‘The Inventory of Anne,
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a letter from Jakarta to Richard Wickmann at Hirado informing him that ‘the Gift 334 bid., p. 179. Viscountess Dorchester, 1638/1639’, Notes and of the early years of the seventeenth century have shown that although woven silk
335 bid., p. 241. Queries, Vol. 198, London, 1953, p. 155.
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departed into England the 22nd December laden with pepper, some cloves, mace, nuts 336 bid., pp. 276–277. 347 bid., p. 470. cloths and silk furnishings are commonly listed among the contents of the households
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and some 50 chests of silks of all sorts’. 337 337 bid., p. 112. 348 bid., pp. 94–95. of the wealthy nobility, only a few of them are described as being of Chinese origin.
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94 Silk, Porcelain and Lacquer Trade in Chinese Silk 95