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Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object name |
Bowl, Serving |
Artist or maker |
unknown |
Date |
19th century |
Place of origin |
China |
Materials and techniques |
Porcelain |
Physical description |
Blue and white round vegetable dish and cover with a river scene on the cover and exterior of the dish. |
Historical context |
During the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company dominated trade with the Chinese through a monopoly. However, by the early 18th century, there was a demand for Chinese products in the British North American colonies. Large port cities, New York City, were leaders in the Chinese trade in the colonies, leading the luxury markets of tea, silk, ivory, and porcelain. Porcelain products were just a sliver of trade, with the main cargos usually full of tea. On its long journey, porcelain was stored at the lowest levels of the ship because the material was impermeable to water. After the Revolutionary War, the United States entered into trade with China in 1784, jumpstarting the trend for porcelain dishware. The porcelain was only decorated using a dark cobalt shade of blue but could be customized to display a number of symbols, images, or even faces. In the early days of the republic, porcelain punchbowls featured the face of George Washington and the seal of the United States. Porcelain products were initially products for the wealthy and elite, but as demand increased, so did the supply. By the outbreak of the war, porcelain tea sets were affordable to the masses and became the preferred method to drink tea. |
Current exhibit |
Long Room |
Catalogue number |
1963.01.055a |
Collection name |
Furniture and Decorative Arts |
Special collection |
Tools of the Tavern |
Credit line |
Bequest of William Taylor Morson, 1963 |
Subjects and places |
China |