The Flute Boullongne within her Historical Context

Starting at the end of the 15th century, Portuguese and Venetian navigators had pretty well understood the attraction of and developed commerce with the Orient in order to bring back the spices that Europe was so fond of. Thus, the main European powers possessing sizable navies reacted in a manner to enable them to also profit from these exchanges.

The French East India Company was created as a reaction to the intensive activity of the two main powers of the time: the Oost-Indische Company, a Dutch concern known as the VOC, which became a veritable empire with relations stretching all the way to Japan and which lasted from 1602 to 1799, completing nearly 10,000 voyages between Europe and Asia. On the other hand, there was the British East India Company, also known as The Old Lady, created in 1600 under Queen Elizabeth the 1st and mostly concerned with trade with India, followed by the New Company, both of which merged later to give birth to The Honorable East India Company. This enormous commercial power employed up to 4,000 people in London alone, but was eventually ruined in 1874 by the British Royalty who considered its influence excessive. After various private attempts by French traders were initiated during the first half of the 17th century, Colbert Officially recognized, in 1664, the French East India Company which already existed under the name Compagnie du Duc de la Meilleraye, and which became established in 1666, under pressure by Mazarin, in Port Louis, a town which gave rise to L'Orient, known today as Lorient.

However, commercial rivalry and constant warring with Holland and England doomed the Company that ceased to exist under that name in 1684. After that time, there appeared the Royal Company of China, followed by the East India Trading Company.

After a troubled period starting with the War of Austrian Succession and followed by much criticism on its monopolistic position, Necker finally put an end to the Company's privileged position in 1769. Finally, a New East India Company was just eliminated by the Constitutional Assembly in 1790. Thus ended Colbert's dreams of continuity.