Plate
Unknown Artist
ca. 1725–30
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter: 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Porcelain-Export
Culture
Chinese, for British market
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mildred R. Mottahedeh, 1980
Accession Number
1980.141.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate, crafted around 1725–30, exemplifies Chinese export porcelain made specifically for the British market. 9 inches in diameter, it features floral motifs—a hallmark of the period's decorative style—painted in vibrant enamels a pristine white hard-paste body. Produced during the Qing dynasty, such were highly prized in Europe their refinement and exotic appeal, gracing the tables of affluent households. Hard-paste porcelain, a Chinese innovation involving kaolin clay and high-temperature firing, achieved a translucent durability unmatched by European soft-paste imitations at t...