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  • ChineseArgent: All Silver: Art, Antiques, Hallmark & ArticlesChinese Export Silver. Silver antique, Chinese Art, Silver hallmarks, fineness, Coin Silver, Maker's mark, flatware patterns
  • Home
  • Chinese Art - General
      
    • Chinese Dynasty Timeline
    • Chinese Cloisonné
    • Jingtai Blue
    • China Middle Class
  • Chinese Export Silver
      
    • Chinese Silver Money - Chinese Sycee
    • Flow of Silver to China
    • Chinese Rich Silver History
    • Canton System
    • First Opium War
    • Second Opium War
    • East meet West
    • Chinese Silversmith
    • Chinese Silver Motif
    • Chinese Silver Maker Marks
  • Chinese Treaty Port
      
    • Macao
    • Shanghai
    • Tientsin
    • Canton
    • The French concession (Shanghai)
    • The American Concession (Tientsin)
  • Silver Care
      
    • Tarnish Vs Patina
    • Care & Polishing
    • Polish Silver in a Baking Soda
    • Displaying Silver
    • Storing Silver
  • World Silver Hallmarks
      
    • Fineness Marks
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  • World Silversmiths Directory
      
    • Chinese Silversmith
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    • Mexican Silversmith Maker
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  • America Silversmiths Directory
      
    • maker - A - 1
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    • Maker - Y - 1
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  • English Silversmiths Directory
      
    • York Maker Mark
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    • Dublin Makers 1/3
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    • Edinburgh A
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  • Silver Retailer Directory
      
    • Retail A1
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  • Flatware Pattern Index
      
    • A & W Wood
    • A.F. Towle & Son
    • Albert Coles
    • Allan Adler
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 1/3
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 2/3
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 3/3
    • Amston Silver Co.
    • Baker-Manchester
    • Campbell-Metcalf Silver Co.
    • Century Sterling
    • Chicago Silver Co.
    • Coles & Reynolds
    • Concord Silversmiths
    • Contempora House
    • Dominick & Haff 1/2
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    • Dowry Sterling
    • Duhme & Co
    • Easterling
    • Erickson Silver Shop
    • Fessenden & Co
    • Fine Arts
    • Frank M. Whiting 1/2
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    • Frank W. Smith 1/2
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    • Geo. W. Shiebler & Co. 1/2
    • Geo. W. Shiebler & Co. 2/2
    • Graff, Washbourne & Dunn Pattern
    • Hallmark
    • Henry Hebbard
    • HH Curtis & Co
    • Howard Sterling Co.
    • H.R. Morss & Co.
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 1/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 2/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 3/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 4/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 5/5
    • John R. Wendt & Co.
    • J.B. & S.M. Knowles
    • John Polhamus
    • Jos. Mayer & Bros.
    • Joseph Seymour
    • Ludwig, Redlich & Co. Patterns
    • Lunt Silversmith 1/2
    • Lunt Silversmith 2/2
    • Kalo Shop
    • Kirk-Stieff Co.
    • Knowles & Ladd
    • Koehler & Ritter
    • Maltby, Stevens & Curtiss Co
    • Manchester Silver
    • Marshall Field & Co
    • Mauser Mfg. Co.
    • Meriden Britannia Co
    • Michael Gibney
    • Mount Vernon Co. 1
    • Mount Vernon Co. 2
    • National Silver
    • Old Newbury Crafters
    • Oneida Patterns
    • Paye & Baker
    • Poole Silver Co.
    • Porter Blanchard
    • Ralph Lauren
    • R. Blackinton & Co.
    • Reed & Barton
    • Raimond Silver Mfg. Co.
    • Richard Dimes
    • Rogers & Brittin
    • Roger Williams Silver Co.
    • Royal Crest
    • Saart Bros. / SSMC
    • Schofield Co. Patterns
    • Schulz & Fischer
    • Shreve & Co. Patterns
    • Simons Bros.
    • Simmons & Paye
    • State House Silver
    • Theo. Evans & Co.
    • Tiffany
    • Towle Patterns
    • Tradition Sterling
    • Tuttle Silver
    • Unger Bros. Patterns
    • Vera Wang
    • Wallace Silver 1/5
    • Wallace Silver 2/5
    • Wallace Silver 3/5
    • Wallace Silver 4/5
    • Wallace Silver 5/5
    • Watrous Mfg. Co.
    • Watson Co. 1/3
    • Watson Co. 2/3
    • Watson Co. 3/3
    • Web Silver Co.
    • Webster Co.
    • Weidlich Sterling
    • Wendell Patterns
    • Westmorland Silver
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 1/3
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 2/3
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 3/3
    • Wilcox & Evertsen
    • W.K. Vanderslice
    • Wm. B. Durgin 1/2
    • Wm. B. Durgin 2/2
    • WM Gale & Son
    • Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co
    • Wood & Hughes
  • Forums
  • Maker Date Mark
      
    • Georg Jensen Date Mark
    • Gorham Date Mark
    • Kirk Date Mark
    • Tiffany Date Mark
    • Tuttle Date Mark
  • Articles Index
      
    • Interesting Silver Facts
    • Western Decorative Styles and period
    • Trade Silver Coins
    • German Silver (Nickel silver)
    • History of English Silver
    • Monogram - A Silver collector's perspective
    • Sterling or Plated?
    • Fake and Forged Silver Marks
    • The impressive Chinese Dragon
    • Investing in Chinese Export Silver
  • Notable Silversmith Index
      
    • Alvin Silver Mfg. Co.
    • Derby Silver Co
    • Elkington & Co.
    • Georg Jensen Silver
    • Gorham Manufacturing Company
    • ​John Rudolph Wendt
    • Kalo Shop
    • Kirk & Son Sterling
    • Paul Storr
    • Reed & Barton
    • Tiffany & Co
    • Wallace Silversmiths
    • Westmorland Silver Company
  • Our Collection
  • Appendix
      
    • London Date Mark (1678 – 1974)
    • Birmingham Date Mark (1773 – 1974)
    • Sheffield Date Mark (1773 – 1974)
    • Edinburgh Date Mark (1705 – 1974)
    • Exeter Date Mark (1701 - 1882)
    • Dublin Date Mark (1700 - 1920)
    • Newcastle Date Mark (1839 - 1883)
    • Glasgow Date Mark (1683 - 1963)
    • Chester Date Mark (1701 - 1925)
    • ​National Gold and Silver Stamping Act of 1906
    • Tientsin Treaty 1858
    • Nanking Treaty 1842
    • Kirk & Son Date Mark
    • ​Swedish Silver Date Mark
    • Georg Jensen Designer mark
    • Exchange Rates - The Ching Dynasty
    • Exchange Rates - The Ming Dynasty
    • Purchasing Capability - The Qing Dynasty
    • Purchasing Capability - The Ming Dynasty
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ChineseArgent: All Silver: Art, Antiques, Hallmark & Articles

Chinese Export Silver. Silver antique, Chinese Art, Silver hallmarks, fineness, Coin Silver, Maker's mark, flatware patterns

  • Home
  • Chinese Art - General
    • Chinese Dynasty Timeline
    • Chinese Cloisonné
    • Jingtai Blue
    • China Middle Class
  • Chinese Export Silver
    • Chinese Silver Money - Chinese Sycee
    • Flow of Silver to China
    • Chinese Rich Silver History
    • Canton System
    • First Opium War
    • Second Opium War
    • East meet West
    • Chinese Silversmith
    • Chinese Silver Motif
    • Chinese Silver Maker Marks
  • Chinese Treaty Port
    • Macao
    • Shanghai
    • Tientsin
    • Canton
    • The French concession (Shanghai)
    • The American Concession (Tientsin)
  • Silver Care
    • Tarnish Vs Patina
    • Care & Polishing
    • Polish Silver in a Baking Soda
    • Displaying Silver
    • Storing Silver
  • World Silver Hallmarks
    • Fineness Marks
    • American Silver Hallmark
    • Austrian Silver Hallmark
    • Baltimore Silver Hallmark
    • Belgium Silver Hallmark
    • Dutch Silver Hallmark
    • Egyptian Silver Hallmark
    • English Silver Hallmark
    • Finnish Silver Hallmark
    • Hungarian Silver Hallmark
    • Italian Silver Hallmark
    • Mexican Silver Hallmark
    • Polish Silver Hallmark
    • Spanish Silver Hallmark
    • Swedish Silver Hallmark
    • Swiss Silver Hallmark
  • World Silversmiths Directory
    • Chinese Silversmith
    • German Silversmith 1/4
    • German Silversmith 2/4
    • German Silversmith 3/4
    • German Silversmith 4/4
    • Mexican Silversmith Maker
    • Norwegian Silversmith
    • Spanish Silversmith
  • America Silversmiths Directory
    • maker - A - 1
    • maker - A - 2
    • maker - B - 1
    • maker - B - 2
    • maker - B - 3
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    • Maker - R - 4
    • Maker - S - 1
    • Maker - S - 2
    • Maker - S - 3
    • Maker - S - 4
    • Maker - S - 5
    • Maker - S - 7
    • Maker - T - 1
    • Maker - T - 2
    • Maker - U - 1
    • Maker - V - 1
    • Maker - W - 1
    • Maker - W - 2
    • Maker - W - 3
    • Maker - W - 4
    • Maker - W - 5
    • Maker - W - 6
    • Maker - Y - 1
    • Maker - Z - 1
  • English Silversmiths Directory
    • York Maker Mark
    • Newcastle Mark
    • Exeter Mark
    • Dublin Makers 1/3
    • Dublin Makers 2/3
    • Dublin Makers 3/3
    • Glasgow Mark 1/3
    • Glasgow Mark 2/3
    • Glasgow Mark 3/3
    • Edinburgh A
    • Edinburgh B
    • Edinburgh C
    • Edinburgh D
    • Edinburgh E
    • Edinburgh F
    • Edinburgh G
    • Edinburgh H
    • Edinburgh I
    • Edinburgh J
    • Edinburgh K
    • Edinburgh L
    • Edinburgh M
    • Edinburgh N
    • Edinburgh O
    • Edinburgh P
    • Edinburgh R
    • Edinburgh S
    • Edinburgh T
    • Edinburgh U
    • Edinburgh V
    • Edinburgh Y
    • Edinburgh Z
  • Silver Retailer Directory
    • Retail A1
    • Retail B1
    • Retail B2
    • Retail C1
    • Retail D1
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    • Retail F1
    • Retail G1
    • Retail H1
    • Retail H2
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    • Retail K1
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    • Retail M1
    • Retail N1
    • Retail O1
    • Retail P1
    • Retail Q1
    • Retail R1
    • Retail S1
    • Retail S2
    • Retail T1
    • Retail U1
    • Retail V1
    • Retail W1
    • Retail W2
    • Retail Y1
    • Retail Z1
  • Flatware Pattern Index
    • A & W Wood
    • A.F. Towle & Son
    • Albert Coles
    • Allan Adler
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 1/3
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 2/3
    • Alvin Mfg. Co. 3/3
    • Amston Silver Co.
    • Baker-Manchester
    • Campbell-Metcalf Silver Co.
    • Century Sterling
    • Chicago Silver Co.
    • Coles & Reynolds
    • Concord Silversmiths
    • Contempora House
    • Dominick & Haff 1/2
    • Dominick & Haff 2/2
    • Dowry Sterling
    • Duhme & Co
    • Easterling
    • Erickson Silver Shop
    • Fessenden & Co
    • Fine Arts
    • Frank M. Whiting 1/2
    • Frank M. Whiting 2/2
    • Frank W. Smith 1/2
    • Frank W. Smith 2/2
    • Geo. W. Shiebler & Co. 1/2
    • Geo. W. Shiebler & Co. 2/2
    • Graff, Washbourne & Dunn Pattern
    • Hallmark
    • Henry Hebbard
    • HH Curtis & Co
    • Howard Sterling Co.
    • H.R. Morss & Co.
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 1/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 2/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 3/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 4/5
    • International Silver Co. Patterns 5/5
    • John R. Wendt & Co.
    • J.B. & S.M. Knowles
    • John Polhamus
    • Jos. Mayer & Bros.
    • Joseph Seymour
    • Ludwig, Redlich & Co. Patterns
    • Lunt Silversmith 1/2
    • Lunt Silversmith 2/2
    • Kalo Shop
    • Kirk-Stieff Co.
    • Knowles & Ladd
    • Koehler & Ritter
    • Maltby, Stevens & Curtiss Co
    • Manchester Silver
    • Marshall Field & Co
    • Mauser Mfg. Co.
    • Meriden Britannia Co
    • Michael Gibney
    • Mount Vernon Co. 1
    • Mount Vernon Co. 2
    • National Silver
    • Old Newbury Crafters
    • Oneida Patterns
    • Paye & Baker
    • Poole Silver Co.
    • Porter Blanchard
    • Ralph Lauren
    • R. Blackinton & Co.
    • Reed & Barton
    • Raimond Silver Mfg. Co.
    • Richard Dimes
    • Rogers & Brittin
    • Roger Williams Silver Co.
    • Royal Crest
    • Saart Bros. / SSMC
    • Schofield Co. Patterns
    • Schulz & Fischer
    • Shreve & Co. Patterns
    • Simons Bros.
    • Simmons & Paye
    • State House Silver
    • Theo. Evans & Co.
    • Tiffany
    • Towle Patterns
    • Tradition Sterling
    • Tuttle Silver
    • Unger Bros. Patterns
    • Vera Wang
    • Wallace Silver 1/5
    • Wallace Silver 2/5
    • Wallace Silver 3/5
    • Wallace Silver 4/5
    • Wallace Silver 5/5
    • Watrous Mfg. Co.
    • Watson Co. 1/3
    • Watson Co. 2/3
    • Watson Co. 3/3
    • Web Silver Co.
    • Webster Co.
    • Weidlich Sterling
    • Wendell Patterns
    • Westmorland Silver
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 1/3
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 2/3
    • Whiting Mfg. Co. 3/3
    • Wilcox & Evertsen
    • W.K. Vanderslice
    • Wm. B. Durgin 1/2
    • Wm. B. Durgin 2/2
    • WM Gale & Son
    • Wm. Rogers Mfg. Co
    • Wood & Hughes
  • Forums
  • Maker Date Mark
    • Georg Jensen Date Mark
    • Gorham Date Mark
    • Kirk Date Mark
    • Tiffany Date Mark
    • Tuttle Date Mark
  • Articles Index
    • Interesting Silver Facts
    • Western Decorative Styles and period
    • Trade Silver Coins
    • German Silver (Nickel silver)
    • History of English Silver
    • Monogram - A Silver collector's perspective
    • Sterling or Plated?
    • Fake and Forged Silver Marks
    • The impressive Chinese Dragon
    • Investing in Chinese Export Silver
  • Notable Silversmith Index
    • Alvin Silver Mfg. Co.
    • Derby Silver Co
    • Elkington & Co.
    • Georg Jensen Silver
    • Gorham Manufacturing Company
    • ​John Rudolph Wendt
    • Kalo Shop
    • Kirk & Son Sterling
    • Paul Storr
    • Reed & Barton
    • Tiffany & Co
    • Wallace Silversmiths
    • Westmorland Silver Company
  • Our Collection
  • Appendix
    • London Date Mark (1678 – 1974)
    • Birmingham Date Mark (1773 – 1974)
    • Sheffield Date Mark (1773 – 1974)
    • Edinburgh Date Mark (1705 – 1974)
    • Exeter Date Mark (1701 - 1882)
    • Dublin Date Mark (1700 - 1920)
    • Newcastle Date Mark (1839 - 1883)
    • Glasgow Date Mark (1683 - 1963)
    • Chester Date Mark (1701 - 1925)
    • ​National Gold and Silver Stamping Act of 1906
    • Tientsin Treaty 1858
    • Nanking Treaty 1842
    • Kirk & Son Date Mark
    • ​Swedish Silver Date Mark
    • Georg Jensen Designer mark
    • Exchange Rates - The Ching Dynasty
    • Exchange Rates - The Ming Dynasty
    • Purchasing Capability - The Qing Dynasty
    • Purchasing Capability - The Ming Dynasty

 Silversmith Directory

A_Fine_Pair_of_French_Silver_Comports_of_Native_American_Interes nelson__and__nelson_antiques_antique_english_silver_monteith_bow

American or Canadian Silversmith / Maker

American Silver Retailer Index

Chinese Silversmith / Maker

English Silversmith / Maker

German Silversmith

Mexican Silversmith Maker

Norwegian Silversmith / Maker

Spanish Silversmith / Maker

 Interesting Read

Chinese art.jpg

Understanding the mysterious Chinese Art

Affluent Chinese Art Collector

 

Chinese Export Silver & Timeline

Investing in Chinese Export Silver

Chinese Export Silver Basket.jpg

The impressive Chinese Dragon

Chinese Motif and its meaning in Chinese Culture

Tarnish? Arrest the culprit

Polishing: Making it Shine again

Interesting Silver Facts. Things you probably do not know

 

Chinese Cloisonne Art

JingTai Lan: The Imperial Blue Cloisonne

 Silver Hallmark

 Hallmark1.jpg

American Silver Hallmark

American Baltimore Silver Mark

Austrian Silver Hallmark

Belgian Silver Hallmark

Chinese Export Silver Mark

Dutch Silver Hallmark

Egyptian Silver Hallmark

English Silver Hallmark

Finnish Silver Hallmark

French Silver Hallmark

Hungarian Silver Hallmark

Italian Silver Hallmark

Mexican Silver Hallmark

Polish Silver Hallmark

Spanish Silver Hallmark

Swedish Silver Hallmark

Swiss Silver Hallmark

 Blog Entries

  • Silver Flatware Patterns
  • Silverware manufacturer / silversmith flatware patterns Index
  • Chinese Sycee / Silver Ingot Article Update
  • New Silver Hallmark Update
  • JingTai Lan: The Imperial Blue Cloisonne
more  

The old Canton

City of the famous thirteen factories. Foreign Treaty Ports within Chinese Imperial Cities

Canton

Of all the treaty port cities, Canton – situated at a strategic location on the Pearl River – is by far the greatest and the most ancient, having been mentioned as a major port since the Tang Dynasty (7th century AD). 

For a good eight centuries before the advent of the Europeans, Canton, and its sister city Quanzhou, in Fujian province, would reign supreme as the foremost trading capitals in China. In the famous Arab traveller, Ibn Battuta’s 14th century travelogue, both cities were mentioned as fabulous, wealthy cities with magnificent boats and spices from all the known world.

The Portuguese arrived in the early 1500s, drawn, as in the case of Malacca, by Canton’s fabled wealth. Mistaking the port city itself for the province in which it sat, they called the city Cantão (after the “Guangdong” province), and the name stuck, even as the Portuguese themselves were chased out of Canton and resettled in Macao by 1557.

Canton’s history as a major port of trade with European powers began in 1685 when the Kangxi Emperor opened the seas to trade. Canton became one of half a dozen ports of call for European ships. In 1757, threatened by a wave of missionary activity in China, the Qianlong Emperor decreed that henceforth, all foreign trade with China would be limited to Canton only, setting the stage for the city’s renaissance.

Foreign Factories in Guangzhou circa 1807

By the 1700s, Canton had once again become a major global city and port, by virtue of the famous Thirteen Factories (also known as the Thirteen hong 十三商行). These were thirteen European merchant houses and residential quarters situated beyond the walls of the city of Guangzhou itself, within which the Europeans were allowed to pursue their commercial activities.

Canton 13 Factory

These “factories” were forerunners of the subsequent treaty ports and foreign concession system of colonization that would appear in the 1800s; and they were truly international – the British, the Dutch, the French, the Spanish and the Portuguese were here; so were the Americans, the Danish, the Belgians, the Germans and the Swedes. 

As mentioned earlier, Chinese requires all trade transaction to be settled or paid with Silver. To balance the defict of Silver export to China, several countries started exporting Opium to China as a commodity. Opium trade was originally dominated by the Dutch, but was soon taken over by the British due to British rule in India and the foundation of the East India Company. The British started to trade opium for silver in southern China, and from there the opium trade exploded. British exportation of opium from India to China facilitated a flow of silver into India. This compensated for the British drain on India and solidified India as a substantial financial base for England. For these reasons, the British heavily pushed opium trade with China.

canton-china-opium-den-granger.jpg

Illegal opium trade continued to increase and China was importing over 4,000 chests annually by 1790. In 1800 importation of opium made illegal again, but trade continued to rise, with China receiving approximately 5,000 chests in 1820, 16,000 chests in 1830, 20,000 chests in 1838.

Several decrees were made to try to stop the British from exporting opium to China, but the British government ignored the Chinese. In 1810 the Emperor issued a decree denouncing the use and trade of opium:

“Opium has a very violent effect. When an addict smokes it, it rapidly makes him extremely excited and capable of doing anything he pleases. But before long, it kills him. Opium is a poison, undermining our good customs and morality. Its use is prohibited by law. Now the commoner, Yang, dares to bring it into the Forbidden City. Indeed, he flouts the law! He should be turned over to the Board of Punishment, and should be tried and severely sentenced.

However, recently the purchases and eaters of opium have become numerous. Deceitful merchants buy and sell it to gain profit. The customs house at the Ch'ung-wen Gate was originally set up to supervise the collection of imports (it had no responsibility with regard to opium smuggling). If we confine our search for opium to the seaports, we fear the search will not be sufficiently thorough. We should also order the general commandant of the police and police- censors at the five gates to prohibit opium and to search for it at all gates. If they capture any violators, they should immediately punish them and should destroy the opium at once. As to Kwangtung and Fukien, the provinces from which opium comes, we order their viceroys, governors, and superintendents of the maritime customs to conduct a thorough search for opium, and cut off its supply. They should in no ways consider this order a dead letter and allow opium to be smuggled out!”

This decree had little effect because the government was centered in Beijing, which was too far north to control the trade in the south. Two similar decrees were issued in 1811, commanding the Chinese people to honor the prohibition of opium. 

The First Opium War ended all the foreign trade and Canton became the epicenter of the War. Here it was that the Qing Dynasty bureaucrat, Lin Zexu (林則徐), made a proclamation banning illegal trade in opium. Here it was – or at least close enough, at Humen Town (虎門鎮) – that he called for the destruction of 20,000 chests of opium in 1839. And here it was that War was inevitably declared and waged.

By 1842, the British had defeated the Chinese and captured the city. China was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking – which saw five treaty ports, including Canton, re-opened to foreign trade. 

The Second Opium War saw the destruction of the Thirteen Factories and European trade activities were relocated to Shameen Island (沙面島) – a tiny sandbar in the vicinity. Commercial activities resumed as before, but Canton had alreay lost its monopoly on Chinese trade

Shameen from the Air in the Circa 1930s


A view of the old English Bridge connecting Shameen to Canton City in the early part of the 20th century


Canton Street View

Typical Canton Narrow Street 


Canton street scene 1919

Canton Shop Scene Circa 1919


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