Open Forum

The St. Mary's County Historical Society (MD) received a plate today that has been described as a Chinese export porcelain plate, c. 1800.  The donor contacted Historic Deerfield and they supplied the following information:

The plate is decorated in "en grisaille" or gray colors/enamel washes.  The border is very repetitive, which is expected from the neoclassicial style ceramics of the period.  There is an unglazed foot rim - thus confirming Chinese origin.

We're trying to determine if any museums have further information on this type of Chinese porcelain.  We want to be sure that we have a complete record of the type of plate for PastPerfect.  Our Society home is in Tudor Hall, Leonardtown, MD.  The building was begun in the mid-18th century by Abraham Barnes and later purchased by the Key family (first cousins to Francis Scott Key).  It is on the National Register as well as the MD Inventory of Historic Properties. 


------------------------------
Susan Wolfe
Executive Director
St. Mary's County Historical Society
Leonardtown MD
------------------------------

Hello Susan,
The Peabody Essex Museum has a large collection of Chinese export porcelain and of course the Metropolitan Museum. The Met collection is on-line and you can search with broad terms. Both museums have a lot of history about this type of porcelain

Hope that helps,


------------------------------
Tania Batley
Curator
Lefferts Historic House
Brooklyn, NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2017 10:10 AM
From: Susan Wolfe
Subject: Chinese Porcelain Plate

The St. Mary's County Historical Society (MD) received a plate today that has been described as a Chinese export porcelain plate, c. 1800.  The donor contacted Historic Deerfield and they supplied the following information:

The plate is decorated in "en grisaille" or gray colors/enamel washes.  The border is very repetitive, which is expected from the neoclassicial style ceramics of the period.  There is an unglazed foot rim - thus confirming Chinese origin.

We're trying to determine if any museums have further information on this type of Chinese porcelain.  We want to be sure that we have a complete record of the type of plate for PastPerfect.  Our Society home is in Tudor Hall, Leonardtown, MD.  The building was begun in the mid-18th century by Abraham Barnes and later purchased by the Key family (first cousins to Francis Scott Key).  It is on the National Register as well as the MD Inventory of Historic Properties. 


------------------------------
Susan Wolfe
Executive Director
St. Mary's County Historical Society
Leonardtown MD
------------------------------

Original Message------

The St. Mary's County Historical Society (MD) received a plate today that has been described as a Chinese export porcelain plate, c. 1800.  The donor contacted Historic Deerfield and they supplied the following information:

The plate is decorated in "en grisaille" or gray colors/enamel washes.  The border is very repetitive, which is expected from the neoclassicial style ceramics of the period.  There is an unglazed foot rim - thus confirming Chinese origin.

We're trying to determine if any museums have further information on this type of Chinese porcelain.  We want to be sure that we have a complete record of the type of plate for PastPerfect.  Our Society home is in Tudor Hall, Leonardtown, MD.  The building was begun in the mid-18th century by Abraham Barnes and later purchased by the Key family (first cousins to Francis Scott Key).  It is on the National Register as well as the MD Inventory of Historic Properties. 


------------------------------
Susan Wolfe
Executive Director
St. Mary's County Historical Society
Leonardtown MD
------------------------------

Deborah makes a good point, because there are a lot of resources on Chinese export porcelain.

One book I find really helpful is "Chinese Export Porcelain in North America" Jean McClure Mudge (published in the 1980s but reissued in the 2000s by Riverside Book Company). It's a good overview of both the porcelain and the export trade, also it has many illustrations. The book could be helpful for cataloging your plate.



------------------------------
Tania Batley
Curator
Lefferts Historic House
Brooklyn, NY
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-18-2017 10:09 AM
From: Deborah Smith
Subject: Chinese Porcelain Plate

In the decorative arts world, Chinese Export Porcelain has a long-standing scholarship. Even the Wikipedia article will give you a decent overview, and some suggested good articles/books for further research. Of course, one cannot become an expert connoisseur just from reading. Is the issue one of authenticity, or using the right words in the catalog description? If this is the sole example in your collection (nothing to compare it to), and if you have reason to doubt the donor's second-hand information, you might need to ask someone closer than NH to look at the plate and give you their assessment.