海上 絲路 - Musée de la Compagnie des Indes de Lorient

海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
海上
絲路
中法 絲 綢 貿易的興起
THE
Blossoming of the France - China Silk Trade
MARITIME
SILK
ROAD
澳門博物館
MACAO MUSEUM 2015
A refined Chinese product, silk has fascinated the world
for over 3000 years. The exhibition aims to highlight
trade and cultural exchanges between China and France
through the history of silk.
It is often said that more trade has flowed through
Macao than through Venice. An obligatory port of call
for several centuries, Macao turned out to be a hub at
the beginning of world trade in the 18th century.
Following two previous successful exhibitions, featuring Sino-French cultural exchanges, respectively From
Versailles to the Forbidden City in 2007 and Fantasy World
– Chinoiserie in 2013, this could be a third consistent
and coherent project for Macao Museum. Paintings,
furnishing and clothing fabrics, models, objets d’art,
graphics, all exhibits would come from four French
museums including Versailles. The exhibition could be
enhanced with video, maps, interactive elements and
photos about silk and maritime trade. The exhibition
would be suitable for the French May.
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
Discovered in China several thousand
years ago, silk fascinated the ancient
Greeks and Romans, who sought to
unlock the closely guarded secrets
behind its production. The quality of
Chinese silk gave rise to more than
just worldwide trade by road and sea: it
stimulated technical progress, mutual
exchange and influence.
In Western Europe, during the 13th
century, the silk industry developed
mainly in the northern part of Italy but
the French towns of Lyon and Tours
were later to become serious rivals to
their Italian neighbours.
1. France, 1402
2. Italy, 14th century
3. France, 1507
1
But all changed at the end of the 15th
century, with the achievements of
Portuguese traders and sailors. They
became familiar with the main trade
routes of the Asian seas and thus assumed a privileged position as key partners with the Chinese in what would
soon become an immensely lucrative
enterprise
3
2
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Society
of Jesus, reached Asia on board a Portuguese vessel, but died on Shangchuan
Island in 1552, before he could reach the
Chinese mainland.
The Portuguese disembarked at Macao.
The Jesuits arrived with them. In addition to serving as a key trading post and
gateway to China, Macao quickly assumed strategic importance for religious
organizations who settled there.
2
Renowned middle man between China
and Europe, the Jesuits sent to the
French court many Chinese books,
among them works on sericulture.
1
3
1. Joseph-Marie Vien
Saint François-Xavier qui débarque à la Chine, 1753
Painting commissioned by Marie Leszczynska,
Queen of France, wife of Louis XV
2. 1666-1675
3. Song Yingxing Tian Gong Kai Wu
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
Jesuit and author of "Portrait historique
de l’empereur de Chine", Joachim Bouvet
persuaded Louis XIV to send a joint
diplomatic and trade mission to China.
This was the famous journey of the
Amphitrite which set sail in 1698 from
La Rochelle to Canton and returned to
Port-Louis in the Bay of Lorient less
than two years later.
The cargo, sold in Nantes, consisted
mainly of silk, tea and porcelain.
Some of the goods were already made
for the European market, there were
also lacquered cabinets, birds and
other exotic animals.
1. Foundation of the Observatory (1667):
Colbert introducing to the King Louis XIV
members of the Academy of Sciences.
2. Jean Guérard, Drawing for a fan:
Sale of goods from the Amphitrite, ca. 1700
1
2
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
In 1701 a second French expedition set
sail under the name of Compagnie de
la Chine. France was trying to compete
with other European countries and
established a trading company after
the Portuguese, Dutch and English had
established their own. Trade exchanges
continued to increase and flourished
between the years 1730 and 1780.
1. François René Dumigny.
Le Dromadaire, navire pour
les Indes, model made
between 1759 and 1776
2. Jean-Baptiste Lefèvre.
Portrait of Jacques Duval
d’Epremesnil, director
of la Compagnie des Indes
and Lorient Harbour, 1738
3. View of Lorient Harbour,
1776
1
2
3
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
In Canton, the one and only trading
place open to foreigners in China, the
French Company acquired raw silk for
the French manufactures, as well as
ready-made silk fabrics such as pékins.
Even if pékins and other Chinese fabrics
were prohibited in France for several
decades in order to protect the local
manufacturers, smuggled Chinese
luxury goods attuned to European taste
continued to arrive.
Queen Marie-Antoinette had decorated
the salon des jeux in Versailles and her
residence at Saint-Cloud with pékins.
1"-"2
1. Macao, Praia Grande
2. Factories of Canton
3. Pékin peint
(gouache on silk taffeta),
China, ca. 1770
3
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
In the mid 18th century Lyon became
the silk capital, and the French city
dealt with all the European royal families. Chinese style influenced design,
textile and fashion.
1. Jean-Marc Nattier.
Portrait de Madame
Adélaïde à l’éventail, 1749.
Fourth daughter of King
Louis XV and Queen
Marie Leszcynska in a silk
dress, holding a fan may
be imported from China
1
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
The Church, one of the main buyers of
luxurious textiles to serve as vestments
for priests and furnishing for altars,
contributed to the development of
global networks for both raw materials
and finished goods.
Wallpaper, fans, various fabrics, whether
Chinese or French, became ever more
popular and accessible to a wider range
of society.
The Manufacture de Jouy also reflected
the taste for Chinoiserie, so much in
fashion at the time. Well located between
Paris and the court in Versailles, it
gained the status of Royal Manufacture
and an international reputation.
海上 絲 路 THE MARITIME SILK ROAD
COLLECTIONS
Château de Versailles
Les Arts Décoratifs, musée de la Mode et du textile, Paris
Musée de la Compagnie des Indes, Lorient
Musée de la Toile de Jouy
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
François Gipouloux
Marie-Laure de Rochebrune,
Denis Bruna,
Brigitte Nicolas,
Esclarmonde Monteil,
Directeur de recherche, CNRS
Conservateur au château de Versailles
Conservateur au musée de la Mode et du textile
Directrice du musée de la Compagnie des Indes, Lorient
Directrice du musée de la Toile de Jouy
© Cécile Léon Art Projects, 2014