18-19세기 청대 광동 수출공예품의제작 배경과 지역적 특성 = The Production Context and Regional Characteristicsof Qing-Dynasty Canton Export Craftsin the 18–19th Centuries

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 18–19세기 청대 광동廣東 수출공예품이 단순히 서양의 취향을 모방한 결과물이 아니라, 청 정부의 대외정책과 광동 무역 체제, 행상行商을 중심으로 한 자본 운용 방식, 그리고 광동의 지역적 조건이 복합적으로 작용하여 형성되었음을 고찰하였다. 전통적으로 공예 생산의 중심지로 인식되어 온 강남江南 지역과 달리, 광동은 해금海禁 정책의 완화와 1757년 일구통상一口通商 정책을 계기로 서양과의 교역이 집중되는 항구이자 새로운 수출공예품 생산지로 부상하였다. 이 과정에서 월해관粵海關을 중심으로 한 통관 체계와 외국인 거류･활동의 제한은 행상을 서양 상인과 관의 연결점으로 만들었다. 또한, 행상은 관세 대리 징수를 통해 자본을 축적할 수 있었고, 선매를 통해 무역 과정 전반을 주도하였다.
이러한 무역 구조는 수출공예품의 생산 방식에도 직접적인 영향을 미쳤다. 예를 들어, 은기銀器는 재료의 화폐적 성격과 외국 은화의 순도 문제로 인해 엄격한 품질 관리와 신용 보증이 요구되었고, 제작자･판매상 명문 각인이나 전표 발급 등 다양한 방식으로 보증 체계가 확인된다. 또한 광동은 수입 원재료가 집중되는 물류 거점으로서 자단목紫檀木･상아 등 외래 재료의 조달과 가공이 용이하였으며, 이는 광식가구廣式家具와 상아 공예 등 수출품 생산을 촉진하는 기반이 되었다. 더불어 행회行會와 같은 생산 조직의 제도화가 진행되면서, 광동은 수출공예품 제작 체계를 갖출 수 있었다.

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This study examines export crafts produced in Canton during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries of the Qing dynasty, arguing that they were not merely the result of imitation of Western tastes but were shaped through the complex interaction of Qing foreign policy, the Canton trade system, capital management centered on the hong merchants, and the region’s local conditions. Unlike the Jiangnan region, traditionally regarded as the center of craft production, Canton emerged as a major port of Western trade and a new center of export craft production following the relaxation of maritime prohibitions and the implementation of the Canton System (single-port trade policy) in 1757. Within this framework, the customs system centered on the Yuehai Customs Office, along with restrictions on foreign residence and activity, positioned the hong merchants as intermediaries between Western traders and the Qing authorities. By acting as agents for customs duty collection, these merchants accumulated capital and exercised control over the entire trade process, including advance purchasing. This article further argues that Canton’s rise as a production hub cannot be explained by policy alone, but must be understood in relation to the region’s logistical advantages, commercial concentration, and craft-producing capacity that enabled rapid, market-responsive manufacturing.
The Canton System had a direct impact on the production methods of export crafts. Silverwares, for example, required strict quality control and systems of credit and guarantee due to the monetary nature of silver and issues surrounding the purity of foreign silver coins. Such guarantee systems are evidenced by maker’s and merchant’s marks stamped on objects, as well as by the issuance of trade documents. Moreover, Canton’s role as a logistical hub for imported raw materials facilitated the procurement and processing of foreign materials such as zitan hardwood and ivory, providing a foundation for the production of export goods including Canton-style furniture and ivory carvings. In addition, increasing specialization of labor and the organization of highly developed production groups across multiple craft sectors—such as ceramics, embroidery, silverwork, and furniture—enabled Canton to establish a systematic production structure tailored to export crafts. Finally, by highlighting institutional mechanisms such as guild organizations that regulated standards, prices, and commercial order, this study shows that Canton’s export craft production operated within a collectively managed system of trust and quality control rather than relying solely on individual workshops.