Plates (2)
Unknown Artist
ca. 1772
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain
Dimensions
Diameter (each): 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 George Crawley, 1926
Accession Number
26.111.1, .2
Tags
Art Historical Context
These elegant pair of plates, crafted around 1772 in hard-paste porcelain by an unknown Chinese artist, exemplify exquisite export wares produced for the British market. Measuring 9 inches in diameter, they feature vibrant decorations including birds, deer, lions and a prominent coat of arms—hallmarks of armorial porcelain tailored to European tastes. Hard-paste porcelain, a Chinese innovation using kaolin clay and fired at high temperatures, created a durable, translucent body far superior to Europe's soft-paste imitations, making these pieces both functional tableware and prized collectibles...