Dish
Unknown Artist
ca. 1860–66
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
Diam. 7 3/8 in. (18.7 cm)
Classification
Dish
Culture
Chinese, for American market
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Elizabeth Hazard and Marion H. McVitty, in memory of their mother, Mrs. Lauriston H. Hazard, 1960
Accession Number
60.111.58
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate porcelain dish, dating to around 1860–66, exemplifies the exquisite Chinese export wares crafted specifically for the American market. 7⅜ inches in diameter, it features vibrant decoration of flowers, birds, and butterflies—motifs drawn from traditional Chinese symbolism, where birds often represent joy and harmony, butterflies evoke transformation and love, and flowers signify prosperity and renewal. Produced during a period of expanding global trade following the Treaty of Tianjin (1858), which further opened Chinese ports to Western commerce, these pieces were highly sought af...