January 20-April 21

Tureen, about 1760

Punch Bowl,
probably eighteenth century

Coffee Pot,
first-quarter of the nineteenth century

 

Sets of dishes decorated with coats of arms were a popular item among Chinese export ware. Since the coat-of-arms is a sign of family property, having such insignia on a valuable piece of porcelain suggested ownership and the inheritable value of such goods.

Although speculations about the possible original owner of this piece have been made, the exact identity of the patron remains unknown. Such identification is difficult because when Chinese painters copied a coat-of-arms from a drawing, changes in color and detail often occurred. 

Masumi Ninomiya