"Exotic" goods and European luxury

Guillaume Franconis (1646-1722) belonged to a family of wealthy merchants who held important political positions in the Genevan city. He was involved in commercial and financial activities with England and the Netherlands; through his relations with the Dutch Companies, he gained access to the «East Indies», that is to say Asia, and the «West Indies» or Americas. On his death, his stock of goods still included various fabrics, objects and little pieces of furniture from China or Japan, thin paper, gems, and tobacco as well as tea, sugar and coffee and many other articles and commodities destined for the local European market. At the time, whatever came from overseas was considered less as a token of other cultures than as a luxury item reserved for the wealthy. In still life paintings, Turkish carpets and spices, china and shells were marks of distinction on a European scale.