中国外销银器研究回顾与新进展——兼论18世纪广州的银器外销生意

Retrospect and New Progress of the Research on Chinese Export Silver --On the Business of 18^th Century Export of the Cantonese Silverware

前言明清以来,海路交通迅猛发展,中外贸易交往频繁。从中国销往海外的商品种类繁多,数量惊人。当年远销海外的商品,几经流转,如今散布在世界各地,成为中外经济文化往来的重要见证。18~19世纪,中国外销商品除瓷器、丝绸、茶叶和漆器等外,还有一种较为特别的门类——银器,即中国外销银器(Chinese Export Silver,下文简称外销银)。它的发展演变和对外传播的历史本身就与彼时全球海洋贸易的发展有着密切联系,成为海贸物质文明的重要组成部分,具有经济、贸易和中西文化交流等多重意义。

After reviewing the research on Chinese Export Silver for the past few decades, this paper also aims to focus on the business of the export of Cantonese silverware. In 18th century Canton ( Guangzhou), there were always times when trading metal was forbidden or substantially Emited as to the types and quantities. However, according to previous research and relevant information, some valuable metallic articles, like silver, were traded extensively, despite the regulations from the Qing court and the Guangdong Maritime Customs. According to the archival investigation with the research on extant artefacts, it shows that the research for the business of the precious metal trade still needs much work to fulfil in the future. It needs more people with different backgrounds and techniques to extend in-depth research on 18th-century Sino-West trade and the cargos and beyond.