Bread Plate
Unknown Artist
1785–90
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
Diam. 6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm)
Classification
Bread plate
Culture
Chinese, for American market
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of James T. Woodward, 1910
Accession Number
10.149.102
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate bread plate, crafted in China for the American market between 5 and 1790, exemplifies the height of early trans-Pacific trade luxury. Made of fine porcelain with a diameter of just ¼ inches, it features hand-painted motifs of birds, flowers, a prominent coat of arms—likely a personalized family crest commissioned by a wealthy American patron. Such export wares were highly prized in the young United States, arriving via clipper ships from Canton during a post-Revolutionary boom in Chinese imports. Porcelain's translucency and durability made it ideal for tableware, blending Easte...