Sébastien Pautet is a research fellow at the French Institute of Education at ENS de Lyon and an associate researcher at Université Paris Cité. He has published Le Mystère de la porcelaine bleue with Payot.
Le Mystère de la porcelaine bleue
Sébastien Pautet
Éditions Payot
In this book, intended for a general audience, Sébastien Pautet takes us on a journey through the history of relations between France and China in the 18th century. Through a richly documented study, he traces the efforts made by the French monarchy to uncover the secrets of Chinese craftsmanship and support the development of its own manufacturing industries. From covert missions led by priests to the accounts of travelers and merchants, the author sheds light on the economic, political, and cultural stakes at play between Europe and the Qing Empire during the Age of Enlightenment.
Excerpt from the back cover
In 1765, two Chinese priests stowed away aboard a French ship of the East India Company, entrusted with a delicate mission by Louis XV and his minister Bertin: to uncover the secrets of Chinese craftsmanship in order to improve French production at the dawn of European industrialization.
From Colbert to Napoleon, from Parisian salons to the workshops of Canton, the author takes us on an incredible journey through the Age of Enlightenment. While the craze for chinoiserie swept through homes in the form of wallpaper, porcelain, silks, and lacquerware, the French monarchy orchestrated an ambitious industrial espionage operation in service of its imperialist ambitions in an Asia coveted by England and the rest of Europe. Jesuits, travelers, and merchants relayed valuable information about manufacturing techniques, agriculture, and mining in the Qing Empire—an empire that remained closed to foreigners. An astonishing story that challenges the traditional image of a China that drew inspiration from the West, and a fresh take on the fascination with the Chinese model.