Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles
Encyclopedia
Francois Xavier d'Entrecolles (1664 Lyon
-1741 Beijing
, Chinese name: 殷弘绪, Yin Hongxu) was a French Jesuit priest, who discovered the Chinese technique of manufacturing "true" or hard-paste porcelain
through his investigations in China at Jingdezhen
with the help of Chinese Catholic converts between 1712 and 1722, during the rule of the Kangxi Emperor.
in 1682. He arrived in China in 1698 to become a member of the Jesuit China missions
. Initially proselytizing in Chiangsi, he then became Superior General of the French Jesuits in China from 1706 to 1719.
D'Entrecolles was then Superior of the French Residence in Beijing from 1722 to 1732. He died in Beijing in 1741.
(and possibly Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus
before him in 1708) had already discovered the secret of hard-paste porcelain manufacture, which led to the establishment of the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
. D'Entrecolles used direct observation at the kilns, as well as the technical knowledge of some of his converts, and also directly consulted Chinese technical sources, thought to be the 1682 printing of the Fu-liang Hsien Chih.
D'Entrecolles sent back to Father Orry, S.J., Procator of the Jesuit missions in China and the Indies, a detailed, very comprehensive and well-structured letter to communicate his findings:
The letters were sent to Father Louis-François Orry, treasurer in Paris of the Jesuit missions to China and India, who soon had them published in the Jesuit missions annual report Lettres édifiantes et curieuses de Chine par des missionnaires jésuites (1702–76). They were again published by Jean-Baptiste Du Halde
in 1735, with English editions appearing in 1736 or 1738. The letters were later again published by Abbé Jean-Baptiste Grosier
in his General Description of China. D'Entrecolles also sent material specimens to Europe, which were analysed by Réaumur
, and led to the establishment of the Sèvres Manufactory once equivalent materials were found in Europe.
In England, his work encouraged the creation of various porcelain works, such as Plymouth porcelain
.
D'Entrecolles left Jingdezhen for Beijing
to take new responsibilities in 1723.
He died in Beijing in 1741.
against smallpox
. In 1734 d'Entrecolles also discussed how the Chinese manufactured mercury
.
As a result of d'Entrecolles work, which has sometimes been described as "industrial spying
", Chinese exports of porcelain
soon shrank considerably, especially by the end of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
D'Entrecolles was also a translator of Chinese scientific works into French.
in his Description de l'Empire de la Chine (1735), d'Entrecolles' account was used verbatim
with attribution in Diderot's Encyclopédie
(1751–72).
Josiah Wedgwood
, the famous English porcelain manufacturer, is known to have copied extracts of d'Entrecolles' work in his Commonplace Book. D'Entrecolles' work was also reproduced, without attribution, in Malachy Postlethwayt's widely influential Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce (1757–74).
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
-1741 Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, Chinese name: 殷弘绪, Yin Hongxu) was a French Jesuit priest, who discovered the Chinese technique of manufacturing "true" or hard-paste porcelain
Hard-paste porcelain
Hard-paste porcelain is a ceramic material that was originally made from a compound of the feldspathic rock petuntse and kaolin fired at very high temperature. It was first made in China around the 9th century....
through his investigations in China at Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen , is a prefecture-level city, previously a town, in Jiangxi Province, China, with a total population of 1,554,000 . It is known as the "Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing quality pottery for 1700 years. The city has a well-documented history that stretches back over 2000...
with the help of Chinese Catholic converts between 1712 and 1722, during the rule of the Kangxi Emperor.
Religious career
D'Entrecolles entered the Society of JesusSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
in 1682. He arrived in China in 1698 to become a member of the Jesuit China missions
Jesuit China missions
The history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...
. Initially proselytizing in Chiangsi, he then became Superior General of the French Jesuits in China from 1706 to 1719.
D'Entrecolles was then Superior of the French Residence in Beijing from 1722 to 1732. He died in Beijing in 1741.
Manufacture of porcelain
Independently of d'Entrecolles, but unknown to him, in 1710 the German Johann Friedrich BöttgerJohann Friedrich Böttger
Johann Friedrich Böttger was a Germanalchemist.He was generally acknowledged as the inventor of European porcelain although more recent sources ascribe this to Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus...
(and possibly Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus
Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus
Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus was a German mathematician, physicist, physician, and philosopher...
before him in 1708) had already discovered the secret of hard-paste porcelain manufacture, which led to the establishment of the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory
Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain or Meissen china is the first European hard-paste porcelain that was developed from 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger, continued his work and brought porcelain to the market...
. D'Entrecolles used direct observation at the kilns, as well as the technical knowledge of some of his converts, and also directly consulted Chinese technical sources, thought to be the 1682 printing of the Fu-liang Hsien Chih.
D'Entrecolles sent back to Father Orry, S.J., Procator of the Jesuit missions in China and the Indies, a detailed, very comprehensive and well-structured letter to communicate his findings:
"From time to time I have stayed in Ching-tê-chênJingdezhenJingdezhen , is a prefecture-level city, previously a town, in Jiangxi Province, China, with a total population of 1,554,000 . It is known as the "Porcelain Capital" because it has been producing quality pottery for 1700 years. The city has a well-documented history that stretches back over 2000...
to administer to the spiritual necessities of my converts, and so I have interested myself in the manufacture of this beautiful porcelain, which is so highly prized, and is sent to all parts of the world. Nothing but my curiosity could ever have prompted me to such researches, but it appears to me that a minute description of all that concerns this kind of work might, somehow, be useful in Europe." Introduction of "The Letters of Père d'Entrecolles".
The letters were sent to Father Louis-François Orry, treasurer in Paris of the Jesuit missions to China and India, who soon had them published in the Jesuit missions annual report Lettres édifiantes et curieuses de Chine par des missionnaires jésuites (1702–76). They were again published by Jean-Baptiste Du Halde
Jean-Baptiste Du Halde
Jean-Baptiste Du Halde was a French Jesuit historian specializing in China. Although he had not gone to China, he collected seventeen Jesuit missionaries' reports and provided encyclopedic survey on Chinese history, culture and society....
in 1735, with English editions appearing in 1736 or 1738. The letters were later again published by Abbé Jean-Baptiste Grosier
Jean-Baptiste Grosier
Jean-Baptiste Grosier was a French Abbé who published in 1788 his General Description of China.-Works:*De la Chine: ou Description générale de cet empire, rédigée d'après les mémoires de la mission de Pé-Kin Jean-Baptiste Grosier-Notes:...
in his General Description of China. D'Entrecolles also sent material specimens to Europe, which were analysed by Réaumur
Réaumur
The Réaumur scale , also known as the "octogesimal division", is a temperature scale in which the freezing and boiling points of water are set to 0 and 80 degrees respectively...
, and led to the establishment of the Sèvres Manufactory once equivalent materials were found in Europe.
In England, his work encouraged the creation of various porcelain works, such as Plymouth porcelain
Plymouth Porcelain
Plymouth porcelain was a hard paste porcelain made in the English county of Devon in the 18th century .The porcelain factories at Plymouth and Bristol are noteworthy because they were amongst the earliest English manufacturers of porcelain...
.
D'Entrecolles left Jingdezhen for Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to take new responsibilities in 1723.
He died in Beijing in 1741.
Other works
D'Entrecolles also wrote letters about how the Chinese raised silkworms, and manufactured artificial flowers and synthetic pearls, and practiced oral vaccinationVaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to stimulate the immune system of an individual to develop adaptive immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by many pathogens...
against smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. In 1734 d'Entrecolles also discussed how the Chinese manufactured mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
.
As a result of d'Entrecolles work, which has sometimes been described as "industrial spying
Industrial espionage
Industrial espionage, economic espionage or corporate espionage is a form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security purposes...
", Chinese exports of porcelain
Chinese export porcelain
Chinese export porcelain concerns a wide range of porcelain that was made and decorated in China exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America between the 16th and the 20th century.-Early China porcelain trade:...
soon shrank considerably, especially by the end of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor.
D'Entrecolles was also a translator of Chinese scientific works into French.
Legacy
Following the publication by Father Orry, and later by Jean-Baptiste du HaldeJean-Baptiste Du Halde
Jean-Baptiste Du Halde was a French Jesuit historian specializing in China. Although he had not gone to China, he collected seventeen Jesuit missionaries' reports and provided encyclopedic survey on Chinese history, culture and society....
in his Description de l'Empire de la Chine (1735), d'Entrecolles' account was used verbatim
Verbatim
Verbatim may refer to:*Verbatim Latin - the term "Verbatim" means, in a UK legal context: "word by word, exactly"*Verbatim Corporation, a US company that markets storage media and flash memory*Verbatim , a magazine edited by Erin McKean...
with attribution in Diderot's Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
(1751–72).
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood
Josiah Wedgwood was an English potter, founder of the Wedgwood company, credited with the industrialization of the manufacture of pottery. A prominent abolitionist, Wedgwood is remembered for his "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" anti-slavery medallion. He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family...
, the famous English porcelain manufacturer, is known to have copied extracts of d'Entrecolles' work in his Commonplace Book. D'Entrecolles' work was also reproduced, without attribution, in Malachy Postlethwayt's widely influential Universal Dictionary of Trade and Commerce (1757–74).
See also
- Orientalism in early modern FranceOrientalism in early modern FranceOrientalism in early modern France refers to the interaction of pre-modern France with the Orient, and especially the cultural, scientific, artistic and intellectual impact of these interactions, ranging from the academic field of Oriental studies to Orientalism in fashions in the decorative...
- Jesuit China missionsJesuit China missionsThe history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...