The model of Ship Gothenburg was installed at the entrance of the exhibition hall, with tall casts, full sails and archaic decks, epitomizing the prosperity of the maritime Silk Roads in the 18th century. From 1731 to 1746, this business ship took 15 voyages, 13 of which sailed to Guangzhou. As the flagship of the Swedish Eastern India Company, Ship Gothenburg boasted more than 100 crew members, including the captain, sailors, brewers, gunmen and priests.
Porcelain and tea were the two major cargos that Ship Gothenburg transported. In fact, these two types of products were closely connected with each other in the European trade with China. Popularity of Chinese tea in Europe brought about not only big profits but also widespread use of Chinese tea sets among Europeans. Porcelain trade thus prospered. In addition to tea sets, porcelain vases, decorations, kitchen and cooking utensils were all favorites of European riches. For them, it was a great honor to own a piece of Chinese porcelain. The then Swedish Queen built China Palace in Queen Island in Stockholm and furnished the palace with lacquer wares, screens, furniture, porcelains and silk imported from China. Most porcelains purchased by Gothenburg were celadon wares produced in Jingdezhen, known as the “Chinese Capital of Porcelain”. In addition, there were also a few number of high-class porcelains specially made for Swedish noblemen, each of which was finely painted with badges of their families.
Most export-oriented Chinese porcelains displayed in this exhibition, now collected in Swedish museums, were made to cater to European tastes, including famille-rose engraved fruit baskets decorated with four-color flowers, famille-rose fish-shaped soup basins, coffee sets, cheese containers, water jars, chandeliers, etc. A blue-glazed large bowl made during the reign of Emperor Qianlong was even decorated with the pattern of Ship Gothenburg.
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