LARGE DISH, Jingdezhen, 1720-1725, decorated in Europe, possibly the Netherlands, c. 1725. Porcelain; diameter 15 inches. Museum purchase.
The original decoration on this dish from the late Kangxi period includes carved (anhua) lotus scrolls within a narrow cobalt blue cell diaper border. The fully realized chinoiserie scene in the center was painted in Europe, loosely based on Chinese sources but displaying a surprisingly thorough understanding of those sources. The colorful parrot perched in the tree is a well-documented, independent European design that was widely popular at a time when merchants and travelers collected parrots as emblems of exotic lands.
Pickle Dish, American China Manufactory (Bonnin and Morris), Philadelphia, 1771-72. Soft-paste porcelain with lead glaze; height 4 3/16, width 4 1/2
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