Immaterial and material cultures: Asian colour schemes and domestic Hanna Hodacs
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Immaterial and material cultures: Asian colour schemes and domestic dyes in eighteenth-century Sweden Hanna Hodacs Research Fellow, University of Warwick Europe's Asian Centuries Trading Eurasia 1600-1830 Global History and Culture Centre Department of History - University of Warwick http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/ghcc/eac/ • Asian Goods in the Political Economy of Europe Bringing global perspectives and interdisciplinary methods to bear on histories of industrialization, consumer society and material culture Professor Maxine Berg Project Director • Asian Goods and European Consumer Cultures Investigating the long distance trade between Asia and Europe in material goods and culture that transformed the early modern world. • Asian Goods: Making and Distributing • Asian Goods and the Transmission of Knowledge • Asian Export Ware and Industrial Revolution Dr Helen Clifford Museum Consultant Dr Hanna Hodacs Research Fellow Ms Meike Fellinger PhD Student Dr Chris Nierstrasz Research Fellow Ms Jiao Liu Project Administrator Dr Felicia Gottman Research Fellow Silk and Tea in the North. Scandinavian Trade and the Market for Asian Goods in Eighteenth Century Europe, Palgrave, forthcoming Introduction Chapter 1: The Scandinavian trade with China Chapter 2: Buying Bohea in Canton: selling “Gothenburg Congo” in Scotland Chapter 3: Silk from China: fashion from France Chapter 4: Relocation and substitution: a local and global history of dyeing and drinking Chapter 5: Tea and silk in the North: geographies and chronologies Appendix A: Tea imported by SEIC and DAC 1731-1766 Appendix B: Wholesale traders in tea in Gothenburg (1734, 1748, 1756), and Copenhagen (1756) Appendix C: Colour schemes on Poesis Damask, imported to Europe by SEIC 1734-761 Appendix D: Wholesale trades in silk in Gothenburg (1734, 1748, 1756), and Copenhagen (1756) References to colours in English East India Company’s order lists to India • 1709/10: order for Chintz from Ahmadavad, requests for “lively brisk colours • In 1740: correspondence with the Coromandel coast, requests for “bright red colours” not “dead brick colour” • In 1740: order for Chintz from Calcutta “to be of good colours without any green or brick colours” Ardoise Brunt Asch Caneel Ash Caneelbrun Ash lead Different Brown Hell Blau Ljusgrön Pearl Sjögrön Hell Braun Ljustblå Perle Sea green Different Greens Hell Grün Mandarin Grün Perlfärg Skarl.färg Carmoise Dunckel Blau Himmel Blau May Grün Ponceau Skyblew Ash Light Carmoisin Dunckel Braun Himmelsblå Mazarin Ponso Soharl Askfärgad Celadon Dunckel Grau Hwita Mazarin Blau Prun Sölfwerfärg, Aurora Cherry Dunckel Grün Incarnat Mazarinblå Purple Strå Blå Chocolate Dunckel Perl Jonquille Middleblew Purpur Straw Black Citron Gelb Junquille Milch Röd Swafwelfärg Blau Citrongohlt Gohlt Kirschen Millanblå Rose Swarta Bleum Hanoes Coffébrun Körsbär Mörckblå Rosen Turquin Bleumourant Coul. de Chair Licht Blau Mörckbrun Rosenröda Turquin Blau Blomerant Coul. De Rose Licht Grün Mörkgrått Roth Turqvinblått Blyfärg Crimson Licht Rosen Mörkgrön Scarlet Violet Brandgul Dark Green Light Green Muscus Scharlaken Violet Braun Deep Ash Linsgrönt Olive-gröna Schwartz Weiss Braun Diverse Deep blew Liustblå Orange Silber White Brown Different Ash Ljusbrunt Paille Silfwer Yellow Golden Grådt Gras Grün Gräsgrön Grau Green Gröna Grün English, modern Ash Cherry Crimson Flesh (Pink) Jonquil Yellow Lemon Yellow Mazarin Blue Mourant Blue German*) Asch Kirschen Carmoisin Coul de Chair Jonquille Citron Mazarin Blau Bleumourant Swedish Askfärgad Körsbär Carmoise Coul. de Chair Jonqville Citrongohlt Mazarinblå Blomerant Danish Aske Graa Carmoisin Jonquille Citron English Ash Cherry Crimson Junquille Citron Mazarin English, modern Pearl Poppy Red Purple Rose (Pink/Red) Scarlet Sky Blue Straw Turquin Blue German*) Perle Ponso Purpur Coul de Rose Scharlaken Himmel Blau Paille Turquin Blau Swedish Perlfärg Ponceau Purpur Coul. De Rose Skarl.färg Himmelsblå Paille Turqvinblått Danish Perle Ponceau Pallie Turkin English Pearl Straw Turquin Roesa Purple Pink Scarlet Skyblew Bleumerant *Sources: German from SEIC Catalogue 1733, 36,42, Swedish from SEIC Catalogue 1740s, Danish from DAC Negotiation protocol, English, ordering lists of the EIC • Can colours and colour references help us understand the textile trade between Europe and Asia? • And here particularly the trade in silk between China and Sweden? Backgrounds • Chinese Silk versus Indian Cotton – Different legacies – Different qualities – Different trajectories in the late 18th early 19th centuries • Sweden, a periphery in the Eighteenth-Century Consumer Revolution – Re-export of up to 95% + of the goods imported from Asia – However Silk maybe an exception 25000 Chinese silk textiles banned on the Swedish market 20000 15000 Silk bought for re-export 10000 5000 0 Silk pieces put up for sale in Gothenburg by the Swedish East India Company 1733 to 1759 (130 000 pieces excluding smaller pieces and ready made clothes) Sales Catalogue SEIC, 1748 Sales Catalogue DAC, 1756 6000 20 18 5000 16 Fig. 4 Number of pieces of Poisies Damask imported by the SEIC, and number colours 14 4000 12 3000 10 8 2000 6 No. of colours/ cat 4 1000 No. of pieces 2 0 0 1733 1742 1743 1745 1748 1749 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1756 1757 1758 1761 From Herrborum Castle, Sweden Colour scheme on Poisies Damask textiles (24125 pieces) imported by Swedish East India Company 1733 to 1761, relative numbers. 100 90 Grey (Pearl, Lead, Silver) 80 Black 70 White 60 Gray total Green (Celandon, Light, Dark, Green) Black White 50 Yellow (Jonquille, Lemmon, Paille, Yellow) Green, total Yellow total Blue total 40 Red total 30 Blue (Dark, Middle, Light, Mazarine, Millan, Bleumerant, and Sky Blue) 20 10 0 1733 Red (Crimson, Poppy, Incarnat, Cherry) 1742 1743 1745 1748 1749 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1757 1758 1761 Different shades of red on Poisies Damask pieces imported by the Swedish East India Company 1733-1761 30 25 20 Red, Cherry, % 15 Red, Incarnat % Red, scarlet % Red, Poppy % Red, Crimson % 10 5 0 Year 1733 1742 1743 1745 1748 1749 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1757 1758 (603 (3136 (1224 (3122 (4890 (1800 (500 (1922 (2270 (924 (1300 (999 1311 pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) Different shades of blue on Poisies Damask pieces imported by the Swedish East India Company 1733-1761 30 25 20 Blue, Middle % Blue, Milano % Blue, Light % 15 Blue, Mourant % Blue, Turqin % Blue, Mazarin % Dark blue % 10 Blue, Sky % 5 0 1733 1742 1743 1745 1748 1749 1751 1752 1753 1754 1755 1757 1758 1761 (603 (3136 (1224 (3122 (4890 (1800 (500 (1922 (2270 (924 (1300 (999 1311 (97 pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) pieces) Colours Carmoise Jonguil Ponceau Brun/Brown Pärlfärg/Perl coloured Himmelsblå/Sky blue Askfärg/Ash coloured Skarlet/Scarlet colour Turquinblått/Blue Turguin Blyfärg/Lead coloured Grön/Green Mazarine blå/Blue Hwita/White Citronfärg/Lemon Yellow Coul. De Rose/Pink Swart/Black Price (average) per piece Swedish silver dollar 31 pieces of Damask Poisies in 16 colours (30 lots) 4 3 2 1 1 4 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 2 55.89 37 pieces/ 6 colours (1 lot) 23 2 3 2 3 4 44.75 Johan Linder, Swedish Art of Dyeing. With Domestic Herbs, Gras, Flower, Leaves, Barks, Rots, Plants, and Minerals, first edition published 1720 Johan Westring, The Colour History of Swedish Lichen, or how to use them for colouring and in other useful ways for the household, 18051809 Conclusion • Distinguishing between global material culture (fibres, dyestuff, textiles) and immaterial culture (notions of colours, colour references) and how they sometimes travelled separately • Such a distinction can help us link in this case the Swedish response to the Asian trade on its own accord, and not only in the light of e.g. developments in Britain, France or the Dutch Republic.
