Plate

PeriodCirca 1790 - 1820

Place MadeCanton, China

MediumPorcelain

Dimensions1 × 6 in. (2.5 × 15.2 cm)

ClassificationsPorcelain

Credit LineMuseum Collection, 2024

Object number2024.516

DescriptionA small circular plate, simply decorated with a central motif of an American eagle, clutching an olive branch and a bundle of arrows in its talons. At the center of the eagle's chest is a shield panel, possibly originally containing a monogram of the original owner. A spaced border of small arrowhead motifs runs along the flat portion of the plate just before the cavetto. A narrow gilt band encircles the edge of the plate.
NotesAfter America achieved its independence in 1784, the country entered trade with China. By the late 1780s and early 1790s, trading ships left from ports including Philadelphia and New York, bound for Asia and the expensive and lucrative goods to be had there. In 1798, for example, Colts Neck resident Charles Haight (1768-1849) sailed to China as a mercantile representative for a Philadelphia trading firm, bringing back not only a wide variety of consumer goods but items for his own personal use, including porcelain ware. This particular plate's original owner is unknown. The shield in the center would originally have contained the owner's monogram but has long since worn away. Virtually identical eagle motifs are documented on a number of porcelain pieces, some with elaborate and colorful borders.

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