Silk and Tea in the North

Hanna Hodacs is currently based at the Center for the History of Science, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, in Stockholm, Sweden; her work is concerned with Swedish naturalists in late 18th century London. She has previously worked at Warwick University, UK, Birmingham University, UK, and Uppsala University, Sweden.

“Hodacs’ Silk and Tea in the North … is a high commendable and well-executed history of the Scandinavian trade with China. … students and readers interested in the history of northern Europe’s engagement with Asia in general and with China in particular will find this volume of interest. And she is to be thanked for advancing our knowledge of European consumers and consumption of tea and silks in northern Europe over the eighteenth century.” (George Bryan Souza, The International Journal of Maritime History, Vol. 29 (3), August, 2017) “Hodacs’s study is fine piece of historical scholarship, which draws upon insights from material history, economic history, and to a lesser extent the history of science. … Several illustrations and tables help readers find their way through the sometimes very dense but well-informed text, which sketches a rich canvas of European-Asian trade. By arguing for an integration of Scandinavia in histories of silk, tea, and other commodities,the study fills an important gap in historiography.” (Andreas Weber, Journal of World History, Vol. 28 (1), March, 2017)“This volume adds both substance and nuance to our understanding of global trade and the evolving material systems that emerged within Europe.” (Beverly Lernire, Scandia, Vol. 83 (2), 2017)

• Introduction: Global, European and Scandinavian histories and the East India trade. - 1. The Scandinavian trade with China. - 2. Dusty, ready-blended tea from the North. - 3. A colourful cargo for a motley people. - 4. Transferring and substituting tea and colours. - 5. Conclusion – New chronologies and geographies