“Eight Shades of Blue – 18th Century Chinese Silk on the European market”
Abstract: Chinese silk textiles imported to Europe in the 18th century came in a wide variety of
colours. Silk pieces could be Sky Blue, Dark Blue, Middle Blue, Light Blue, Mazarine Blue, Milan Blue,
Mourant Blue, or Turquin Blue just to mention one set of shades. Different qualities of silk, such as
Damask or Satin, could arrive in more than twenty different colours. This variation reflects the fact
that silk is a fibre which absorbs dyes like maybe no other. The variation of colours and how
assortments changed over time do however also offer insights into the role of Chinese silk in Europe.
In this paper I am going to discuss the how we can use colours to illuminate markets and fashions in
18th century Europe.