A Plan of the Emperor's Glassworks - article ; n°1 ; vol.56, pg 81-90

Emily Byrnecurtis

Description

Arts asiatiques - Année 2001 - Volume 56 - Numéro 1 - Pages 81-90
From the outset of the French mission to China, scientific and cultural pursuits were envisioned and playing a large role. In 1696, a glass workshop was established as a division of the imperial ateliers. It was built on a piece of land next to the French Jesuits' church, which was situated within the walls of the Imperial City, and placed under their care. The glass workshop continued to develop and production at it reached its zenith during the Qianlong period (r. 1735-1796). However, when missionary glass artisans, such as Pierre d'Incarville, and Léonard de Brossard, were no longer associated with the workshop, the quality of its wares began to decline. At the turn of the century, the mission in China sank almost to extinction, and by 1827, all activity at the glassworks had ceased. In 1998, the existence of a Chinese plan for this glass workshop was revealed in an inventory of documents from the Lazarist mission to Beijing. Therefore, the topic of this paper is a study of this plan and the glassmaking activities associated with it.
Dès les débuts de la Mission française en Chine, les activités scientifiques et culturelles ont joué un rôle important. En 1696, une verrerie fut créée à Pékin, comme département des ateliers impériaux. Edifiée sur un terrain jouxtant l'église des Jésuites français, à l'intérieur de l'enceinte de la Cité impériale, elle fut placée sous leur responsabilité. La verrerie se développa et la production atteignit son apogée sous le règne de Qianlong (r. 1735-1796). Cependant lorsque les missionnaires artisans du verre, tels Pierre d'Incarville et Léonard de Brossard, ne participèrent plus à la fabrication, la qualité des pièces se mit à décliner. Au tournant du siècle, la Mission en Chine périclita presque complètement, et en 1827, toute activité avait cessé à la verrerie. En 1998, l'inventaire de documents ayant appartenu à la Mission des Lazaristes de Pékin révéla l'existence d'un plan chinois de cette verrerie. L'article étudie ce plan et les activités de fabrication de la verrerie.
10 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Sciences et techniques

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• Publié par: Arts-asiatiques
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2001
• Nombre de lectures: 260
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

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Emily Byrne Curtis
A Plan of the Emperor's Glassworks
In: Arts asiatiques. Tome 56, 2001. pp. 81-90.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Byrne Curtis Emily. A Plan of the Emperor's Glassworks. In: Arts asiatiques. Tome 56, 2001. pp. 81-90.
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/arasi_0004-3958_2001_num_56_1_1465Abstract
From the outset of the French mission to China, scientific and cultural pursuits were envisioned and
playing a large role. In 1696, a glass workshop was established as a division of the imperial ateliers. It
was built on a piece of land next to the French Jesuits' church, which was situated within the walls of the
Imperial City, and placed under their care. The glass workshop continued to develop and production at it
reached its zenith during the Qianlong period (r. 1735-1796). However, when missionary glass artisans,
such as Pierre d'Incarville, and Léonard de Brossard, were no longer associated with the workshop, the
quality of its wares began to decline. At the turn of the century, the mission in China sank almost to
extinction, and by 1827, all activity at the glassworks had ceased. In 1998, the existence of a Chinese
plan for this glass workshop was revealed in an inventory of documents from the Lazarist mission to
Beijing. Therefore, the topic of this paper is a study of this plan and the glassmaking activities
associated with it.
Résumé
Dès les débuts de la Mission française en Chine, les activités scientifiques et culturelles ont joué un rôle
important. En 1696, une verrerie fut créée à Pékin, comme département des ateliers impériaux. Edifiée
sur un terrain jouxtant l'église des Jésuites français, à l'intérieur de l'enceinte de la Cité impériale, elle
fut placée sous leur responsabilité. La verrerie se développa et la production atteignit son apogée sous
le règne de Qianlong (r. 1735-1796). Cependant lorsque les missionnaires artisans du verre, tels Pierre
d'Incarville et Léonard de Brossard, ne participèrent plus à la fabrication, la qualité des pièces se mit à
décliner. Au tournant du siècle, la Mission en Chine périclita presque complètement, et en 1827, toute
activité avait cessé à la verrerie. En 1998, l'inventaire de documents ayant appartenu à la Mission des
Lazaristes de Pékin révéla l'existence d'un plan chinois de cette verrerie. L'article étudie ce plan et les
activités de fabrication de la verrerie.EMILY BYRNE CURTIS
The French Jesuits reached Ningbo on 23 July 1687.6 In It is not possible to overstate the remarkable contributions
made by French Jesuit missionaries to China in the seven February of 1688, they entered Beijing7 and presented thems
teenth and eighteenth centuries. Their activities as interpret elves to the Portuguese mission, which had been established
ers, astronomers and cartographers have been the subject of there for many years. It cannot be said that the Portuguese
many papers, but their involvement with Qing dynasty (1644- Jesuits were delighted to see their French confreres. Although
1911) glassmaking has received less attention than it deserves. both were members of the same society, 8 they were dependent
In 1998, the existence of a Chinese plan for the glass workshop on the largess of two rival kings, each of whom desired com
which had belonged to the French Jesuits was revealed in an mercial advantages. Nonetheless, for the next five years, the
two nationalities had to live together in the same house. This inventory made by Pauline Guilbaud of documents from the
Lazarist mission in Beijing1. Suffice to say, that the significance was the Nantang, the South Church more properly known as
of this plan was not realized until it was brought to this the Collegium Pekinense of the vice-province of China, head
author's attention by archivist Father Paul Henzmann, CM. quarters of the Jesuit missions in China.
Therefore, the topic of this paper will be confined to a study of Undeterred, by 30 September 1688, the French Jesuits
this plan and the glassmaking activities associated with it. This were able to report that the emperor has accepted some of
exposition, in its scope, is based for the most part on archival their books and prints, and that those bound in beautiful red
documents from Rome, and the above mentioned plan from leather with gilt seemed to have pleased him most. Kangxi also
the Centre des Archives Diplomatiques de Nantes. Given their kept a small watch, an English telescope, "deux petits portraits
en mignature" verre".9 extensive and informative content, many of these documents [enamel?], and "divers ouvrages de
are self-explanatory. Louis XIV had attained his goal; his missionaries would look
out for French interests and establish a Versailles-Beijing axis.
Eager to please the emperor and anxious to have optical
glass for their surveying instruments, the French Jesuits Background
requested articles of glass and crystal10 from Europe, and
From the outset of the French mission to China, scientific began to search for a missionary glassmaker who would fur
and cultural pursuits were envisioned as playing a large role. ther be able to satisfy the imperial taste for enamel ware. In a
The Kangxi emperor (r. 1666-1722) had requested that skilled letter dated 30 November 1691, Gerbillon asked for an artisan
French missionaries be sent to China, 2 and with the approval "qui sache le secret de bien émailler et faire du verre".11
Father Gerbillon was one of the missionaries responsible of his ministers, King Louis XIV made a conscious effort to
have Jesuits selected whose scholarly attainments would for curing Kangxi from malaria. As nothing the Chinese doc
reflect this emphasis. Of the six recruited, Jean de Fontaney, a tors prescribed could cure the Emperor's fever, the fathers
professor of mathematics and physics, was perhaps the most suggested quinine, and in a few days the fever left him. For this
qualified. He was appointed to head the mission. The Fathers service, Kangxi gave the French Jesuits a house inside the yel
Tachard (who would remain in Siam), Bouvet, Gerbillon, Vis- low wall {inter murum croceum) 12 of the Huang cheng [Imper
ial City].13 Fontaney filled his letters with descriptions of this delou, and Le Comte, 3 were admitted as mathématiciens du
Roy at the Académie Royale des Sciences.4 They sailed from event, for it was a great honor. They were given plans for all of
the port of Brest, aboard the Oyseau, on 3 March 1685. the houses in the Imperial City, and the French chose the larg
During the voyage east, the missionaries divided their est and most commodious one. It was the former residence of
scholarly pursuits. Each man was to specialize, in order to pre a governor who had been sent into exile. They took possession
sent an organized and concentrated effort. The make up of this of it on 12 July 1693. The following year, Kangxi granted the
division may be inferred from a mémoire they submitted to French Jesuits another piece of land, to the side of their house,
Minister Louvois.5 Fontaney petitioned for various instruments on which to build their church.14 With a generous endowment
and books on astronomy; Bouvet, natural history works; Gerb of money and materials from the Emperor, they started to
illon, books on France and Europe, barometers, thermomet build a European-style church. In 1695, Kangxi summoned to
ers, and small gifts for the Mandarins who would present Beijing a German Jesuit named Kilian Stumpf, and placed him
them at court. Visdelou asked for dictionaries, and Le Comte, in the French house.15 Stumpf had come to China with many
for books on art, architecture, and glassmaking {"la verrerie"). scientific skills among which was glassmaking.16 Aware of this,
\Ms \m ,l,( 81 p- the emperor instructed him to build a glass workshop in the -F i
H. \ et /•>/..■• Tour hiHinth, jj,,r ju, French Jesuit complex known as the Beitang. This glassworks
was unique in that it was the only such workshop founded by I* If. .Nj.m/,, G <: <: (. <:. Gniw j, the Jesuits; in all other cases they joined existing establish fer envoyée rjr lorn, \\. ments. I). Avenue JjlUe j, marbre. ® r. ï: Sjlles de rut f.
lion et Je con/t- ! r »" rentes. The Emperor's Glassworks r. Chambres. ( Ces chambre* < r.t
tv s-rviie noviciat s< »«
let Lajjnstes.j According to the Daqing huidian shili [Collected Sub- C C Grand sahn. C statutes of the Qing], in 1696 a glass workshop was established G G Chambres. C C II. Cadran soljirt as a division of the imperial workshops.17 In his letter dated I 1*. Chambres, i. Porte d honneur 17 October 1696, Fontaney wrote not only that "la verrerie se K. Entrée. fait en notre maison",18 but that he has already mentioned this K K". Chambres I. L' ie< in his letter written earlier in the month. This indicates that Lettres. M. l'orte d'ntrtt iê the glassworks had already been erected and that it was func la maison. N N*. Défendantes. tioning. A subsequent letter is more detailed: "L'Empereur fait O. Portier. une belle verrerie à coté de notre maison dans un grand ter r * P. Porte d'entrée deit résidence. rain