<em>Plate</em>, ca. 1760. Decorated porcelain, 1 x 8 7/8 in. (2.5 x 22.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Reverend Alfred Duane Pell, 03.328.204. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.03.328.204.jpg)

Plate, ca. 1760. Decorated porcelain, 1 x 8 7/8 in. (2.5 x 22.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Reverend Alfred Duane Pell, 03.328.204. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.03.328.204.jpg)

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This label says this is from England but it looks more like Chinese art. Is there any story behind?

Absolutely! China invented porcelain and for a long time was the only country to make it. Europeans were fascinated by porcelain and imported it from China (and later Japan) by the shipload. In the early years it was very expensive and only the wealthiest Europeans could afford it.

English potters tried to imitate Chinese porcelain and would copy Chinese motifs as models. This imitation porcelain was more affordable, and was popular with the European middle class.

Oh wow!!!! That's so cool! How do you know that this one is England made but not China made? How can you tell?

Before Europeans learned how to make porcelain, they would use regular earthenware (not the pure white kaoline clay used to make porcelain) and just glaze it white to resemble porcelain. A good trick for telling them apart is to look for chips: if it's chipped and the clay inside is white, it's porcelain; if the clay inside is brownish or red, it's glazed earthenware! Additionally, the painted decorations on English earthenware usually doesn't match the level of skill seen in Chinese ceramics.

Tell me more.

This plate is an English imitation of Asian porcelain. Europeans, mostly the Dutch, imported large quantities of porcelain in the 18th century.

The scene on the plate shows a young boy with a man holding what may be a gun.

Cool!

Thanks!

Plate

Decorative Arts and Design

MEDIUM Decorated porcelain

DATES ca. 1760

DIMENSIONS 1 x 8 7/8 in. (2.5 x 22.5 cm) (show scale)

MARKINGS Five imitation Chinese characters.

COLLECTIONS Decorative Arts and Design

ACCESSION NUMBER 03.328.204

CREDIT LINE Gift of Reverend Alfred Duane Pell

EXHIBITIONS

Infinite Blue

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Plate, ca. 1760. Decorated porcelain, 1 x 8 7/8 in. (2.5 x 22.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Reverend Alfred Duane Pell, 03.328.204. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, CUR.03.328.204.jpg)

IMAGE overall, CUR.03.328.204.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2010

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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