The Cobalt of Korea

In the Joseon dynasty, the production of white porcelain was restricted by law due to economic reasons: there was a severe shortage of cobalt. Cobalt was used as a blue dye to decorate white porcelain, and there was no natural sources of it on the Korean peninsula. Cobalt was imported into Korea through China, which had since the Yuan dynasty period imported it from the Middle East (along the Silk Road initially, and probably sea routes later). However, the Ming's restrictive trade policies severely reduced the trade between the Middle East and China, and this had the knockoff effect of making cobalt worth more than gold in Korea. Later, the sheer lack of supply meant that the Koreans couldn't purchase cobalt at any price from about roughly 1440.

There were constant attempts to source cobalt from China, which failed, and also to find a domestic substitute, which also failed despite the occasional experiments with "cobalt-like rocks" found in Gyeongsang and Jeolla provinces. Now, in OTL the Joseon simply bore it, and by the time things were starting to get intolerable toward the end of the 16th century there was a severe distraction in the form of the Japanese invasion which largely stopped inquiry into the matter.

Now, in OTL in the previous Goryeo dynasty there was indeed sea trade between Korea and the Middle East. And during the 15th century, Korea is known for having a reasonable navy. Cultural reasons might have pushed against it, but it is at least possible for the Joseon to decide to cut out the Ming middlemen and attempt to find a source of cobalt on their own, sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century?

What would be any possible ramifications of Korean traders arriving in Mamluk, Ottoman or Safavid lands and seeking trade? I expect their knowledge of the wider world might be comparatively expanded vis-a-vis OTL. The Joseon would still be relatively suspicious of foreign influence I expect, but there could still be some influence. If things started to get successful, is an earlier Korean version of Japan's Red Seal ship trade out of the question?
 

Thande

Donor
Interesting idea. I have always advocated the idea that the main reason Europe grew to dominate the world is its own lack of luxury resources such as spices and the incentive to explore for new trade routes which eventually put them in a stronger position vis-a-vis global knowledge and power deployment as well as spurring various scientific and technological advances. So Korea lacking a luxury resource is a good starting point for this sort of thing.

Perhaps it could start with Korea conducting some limited trade with European traders--probably the Spanish or Portuguese in the era we're talking about, or the Dutch. As you say Korea was just as suspicious of the idea of foreign trade as China or, later, Japan--but I suspect if there was a high-profile case of the Koreans learning that the Europeans could supply them with cobalt, that would be enough for the power establishment to tip the balance in favour of going against Confucian orthodoxy.

The biggest source of cobalt ore in Europe is the Germanies, allowing either of those three powers but especially the Dutch to obtain a good supply for Korea. Now, to get to the situation you want, all you need to do is have the Europeans fight over their eastern trade as they did in OTL and get pushed out while doing so, like how the Dutch were ejected from Formosa and the Portuguese from Japan. Eventually, by 1620 say (it would help if the Imjin War was butterflied away or resolved faster--with European help maybe?) the Europeans are no longer carrying out the cobalt trade as they've lost most of their bases in the region, the Chinese and Japanese have turned more hostile and isolationist, and basically it's no longer worth the trouble for the profits. This would be the time for a Korean 'Columbus' to argue that Korea should use its own ships to go and search for sources of cobalt. Again, the power establishment would now be so used to having a regular supply of cobalt that it would probably overcome their ideological objections.
 
Side thought (thought it would not drive cobalt trade with Europe or Persia):
what if the Koreans or Chinese rediscovered Egyptian Blue ?
Well, it was the 'wrong' colour blue. Presumably Korea had other colours of glazes to use if they had wanted.


Back to the OP. It would be fun if during the scarcity times (say ~1400) Korea sends ships south looking for cobalt. (Let's suppose that some merchant sold a small sample in Korea, saying he'd picked it up in ?Singapore?. So the Koreans head south to Malayasia, get a bit more from Arab merchants (say), get an active trade going. The stuff's going to be hellaciously expensive, though, as it's passing through several middlemen, and probably overland to e.g. the Red Sea.

Korean merchants and the navy explore further, reaching India. Possibly, about this time the Portuguese show up.

In the meantime, to ensure that their high-status merchants (OK only high status when trading colorant) are treated fairly, Korea establishes enclaves/supply bases along the route.

Since even the ferocious price of colorant won't really support such an effort all by itself, merchants are allowed to expand into other trade goods, like silk. And merchants' status rises gradually.

Increased wealth, exposure to foreign technology, and incentive to innovate (especially in ship building) mean that Korea shrugs off any attempted Japanese invasion.


....
 
Perhaps it could start with Korea conducting some limited trade with European traders--probably the Spanish or Portuguese in the era we're talking about, or the Dutch. As you say Korea was just as suspicious of the idea of foreign trade as China or, later, Japan--but I suspect if there was a high-profile case of the Koreans learning that the Europeans could supply them with cobalt, that would be enough for the power establishment to tip the balance in favour of going against Confucian orthodoxy.

The biggest source of cobalt ore in Europe is the Germanies, allowing either of those three powers but especially the Dutch to obtain a good supply for Korea. Now, to get to the situation you want, all you need to do is have the Europeans fight over their eastern trade as they did in OTL and get pushed out while doing so, like how the Dutch were ejected from Formosa and the Portuguese from Japan. Eventually, by 1620 say (it would help if the Imjin War was butterflied away or resolved faster--with European help maybe?) the Europeans are no longer carrying out the cobalt trade as they've lost most of their bases in the region, the Chinese and Japanese have turned more hostile and isolationist, and basically it's no longer worth the trouble for the profits. This would be the time for a Korean 'Columbus' to argue that Korea should use its own ships to go and search for sources of cobalt. Again, the power establishment would now be so used to having a regular supply of cobalt that it would probably overcome their ideological objections.

Wouldn't Middle Eastern sources be more accessable than those from the Germanies? I think it would be more likely for a purely Asian trade route to develop. Though if profitable enough it could be a target for takeover by Europeans with improved ships, I suppose. The Korean reaction to their Omani/Persian/whatever cobalt trade partners being replaced by Portugeuse or Dutchmen would be instrumental on how things go next.

Side thought (thought it would not drive cobalt trade with Europe or Persia):
what if the Koreans or Chinese rediscovered Egyptian Blue ?

Well, it was the 'wrong' colour blue. Presumably Korea had other colours of glazes to use if they had wanted.

I dunno, it might actually work. Koreans seeking ways to emulate the Chinese using local variations has other precedents, so it could be possible that they would be happy with an artificial substitute. Other than increasing the availability of nice pots to the elite, though, it probably wouldn't have a great counterhistorical effect.

<snip>

In the meantime, to ensure that their high-status merchants (OK only high status when trading colorant) are treated fairly, Korea establishes enclaves/supply bases along the route.

Since even the ferocious price of colorant won't really support such an effort all by itself, merchants are allowed to expand into other trade goods, like silk. And merchants' status rises gradually.

Increased wealth, exposure to foreign technology, and incentive to innovate (especially in ship building) mean that Korea shrugs off any attempted Japanese invasion.

Another potential trading good is the porcelain itself. For a long time, the Japanese purchased white porcelain from Korean artisans, and sold it on. Indeed, the Japanese porcelain industry was reliant at it's early stages on artisans taken from Korea. But if Korea gets a flow of cobalt going, the production of porcelain could go up and meet the domestic demand. It would then make a rather logical export product. Korea, unlike "We're so big and wealthy we don't need anything from the rest of the world" China would actually have benefited from more external trade.

The question then becomes whether this increased trade leads to a Korea becoming an Atlantic-style commercial power, or if it decides to go with some Tokugawa-style limited trading scheme. The first option is more interesting, but my gut reaction suggests the latter is the most likely. It would have some long-term effects though, as Korea would be in a much better position for a later modernization.
 
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