Plate
Unknown Artist
ca. 1860–66
Medium
Porcelain
Dimensions
Diam. 8 in. (20.3 cm)
Classification
Plate
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
60.111.118
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant porcelain plate, crafted in China around 1860–66 specifically for the American market, the height of 19th-century export porcelain Measuring 8 inches in diameter, it features motifs of butterflies and birds symbols often evoking beauty, transformation, and harmony in Chinese decorative arts. Produced during a booming era of trans-Pacific trade, such pieces were highly sought after by American households, blending Eastern craftsmanship with Western tastes. Chinese export porcelain like this plate showcased advanced techniques, including fine white bodies fired at high temperatures...