Hot Water Plate
Unknown Artist
1800–1830
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
2 x 10 1/16 in. (5.1 x 25.6 cm)
Classification
Hot water plate
Culture
Chinese
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mary P. Hayden, 1953
Accession Number
53.133.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate "Hot Water Plate," crafted in China between 1800 and 1830, exemplifies the exquisite porcelain artistry of the Qing dynasty's export trade. Measuring just 2 x 10 1/16 inches, this shallow dish was designed to hold warm water rinsing fingers during meals—a practical luxury in refined 19th-century dining. Its porcelain medium, fired to a translucent sheen and hand-painted with intricate scenes of landscapes and boats, the technical mastery of Chinese potters, who blended functionality with decorative elegance for Western markets, including America. Featured in The Metropolitan Mus...