The Marchands-Merciers and

the Taste for the Orient

Diderot's famous pithy definition published in the Encyclopédie, "un mercier est marchand de tout et faiseur de rien", is not merely a wry witticism. It captures -in all its vagueness- the essence of the seemingly unlimited and somewhat frivolous nature of the marchands-merciers' activites in luxury retailing in 18th century Paris.

Established as a guild since the late 12 th century, the marchands-merciers enjoyed a mononopoly over the importation and trade of non-perishable goods of all kinds, which they marketed in their shops to a distinguished clientele comprising the Court, members of the aristocracy, celebrated connoisseurs and foreign patrons. The guild's statutes of 1558, subsequently confirmed until the abolition of guilds in 1791, however, strictly limited the marchands-merciers' commerce to the sale, embellishment or finishing of goods, prohibiting any form of production . Without the facilities to manufacture products freely, these merchants presided over a sophisticated and extensive network of specialized artisans whose services they hired to execute customized pieces. Supplying imported and part-finished materials from their stock, such as lacquer panels, Oriental wares, precious hardstones and Sèvres or Meissen porcelains, along with their own designs or those published by famous ornemanistes, they closely supervised the entire production process. Their unique monopoly to import and stock an unparalleled range of merchandise therefore offered them the rare freedom to combine and assemble all sorts of exotic materials with the highest craftsmanship available in Paris at the time  Through their commissions, they  were able to convey both their artistic visions  and their clients' tastes, and become personally responsible for the elaboration of innovative and whimsical creations.

The marchands-merciers played a particularly instrumental role in the introduction to the Parisian marketplace of a bewildering array of goods, thereby setting fashions and developing new tastes for furniture and fanciful decorative objects of exotic provenance. Of particular importance is their contribution in fostering an Orientalist aesthetic in luxury retailing. Under their discerning guidance and thanks to their international trading power, they provided a highly important impetus for the development of a Westernized taste for the Orient, known as chinoiserie. Lacquer objects, Kangxi, Kakiemon, Imari and celadon porcelains mounted in silver, silver-gilt or ormolu under their direction and according to the lastest canons accounted for a large portion of their inventories, and enjoyed an immense popularity throughout the 18th century. Thomas-Joachim Hébert, Lazare Duvaux and Claude-François Julliot, amongst others were destined to ornate or furnish their client's refined interiors. Hébert can also probably be credited wiht the practice of stocking Japanese or Chinese lacquer panels and subcontracting skilled ébénistes to mount them on French furniture forms.


Bibliographie

"The Alexander Collection"
  Christies'New York
  30 avril 1999