WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易
The article reconstructs, based on Dutch documentation and other foreign archives, the role of Weaver Suckin in the Canton silk trade between 1750 and 1781. The central contribution is to shift the historiographical focus from the macroeconomic structures of cultivation and annual silk volume to the...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2009
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40029/3627 |
| _version_ | 1877196270709243904 |
|---|---|
| author | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_autocomplete | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_browse | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_facet | Paul A. Van Dyke Paul A. Van Dyke |
| author_sort | Paul A. Van Dyke |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 29 |
| container_volume_str | 29 |
| description | The article reconstructs, based on Dutch documentation and other foreign archives, the role of Weaver Suckin in the Canton silk trade between 1750 and 1781. The central contribution is to shift the historiographical focus from the macroeconomic structures of cultivation and annual silk volume to the mediators and producers who actually negotiated, prepared, and exported fabrics, particularly under regulatory regimes that limited the types and quantities of merchandise. It is argued that such restrictions, unlike the tea and porcelain trade, imposed smaller margins through reduced volumes, making it more difficult to attract foreign capital and pressuring weavers to meet external demands within governmental limits.
Methodologically, the study follows Suckin through corporate and private records (VOC, SOIC, and DAC), combining agents' and supercargoes' annotations with contracts and nominal references; the identification of the character is critically discussed in light of orthographic variations and the existence of homonyms in Canton.
As results, the article shows Suckin already consolidated by the late 1750s, active in transactions with the VOC via Hong houses and with other European agents, evidencing his position as a relevant figure in the production and circulation of exportable silk. It concludes that the nominal and documentary reconstruction allows for the recovery of the agency of an "outsider" partially invisible in the most common sources, offering a more integrated reading of Sino-European mercantile networks. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:55Z |
| format | Articles |
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| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
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| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:56:55Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:56:55Z |
| publishDate | January 2009 |
| publishDateRange | 2009 |
| publishDateSort | 2009 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
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| spelling | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 The article reconstructs, based on Dutch documentation and other foreign archives, the role of Weaver Suckin in the Canton silk trade between 1750 and 1781. The central contribution is to shift the historiographical focus from the macroeconomic structures of cultivation and annual silk volume to the mediators and producers who actually negotiated, prepared, and exported fabrics, particularly under regulatory regimes that limited the types and quantities of merchandise. It is argued that such restrictions, unlike the tea and porcelain trade, imposed smaller margins through reduced volumes, making it more difficult to attract foreign capital and pressuring weavers to meet external demands within governmental limits. Methodologically, the study follows Suckin through corporate and private records (VOC, SOIC, and DAC), combining agents' and supercargoes' annotations with contracts and nominal references; the identification of the character is critically discussed in light of orthographic variations and the existence of homonyms in Canton. As results, the article shows Suckin already consolidated by the late 1750s, active in transactions with the VOC via Hong houses and with other European agents, evidencing his position as a relevant figure in the production and circulation of exportable silk. It concludes that the nominal and documentary reconstruction allows for the recovery of the agency of an "outsider" partially invisible in the most common sources, offering a more integrated reading of Sino-European mercantile networks. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles January 2009 Paul A. Van Dyke |
| spellingShingle | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 Paul A. Van Dyke |
| title | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_autocomplete | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_full | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_fullStr | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_full_unstemmed | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_short | WEAVER SUCKIN AND THE CANTON SILK TRADE 1750-1781Weaver Suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| title_sort | weaver suckin and the canton silk trade 1750-1781weaver suckin 與 1750-1781 年間的廣州絲綢貿易 |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40029/3627 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |