Chinese Export Porcelain Canton Large Blue & White Serving Dish

Details

Description

Canton Maritime: Chinese Export Blue & White Oval Serving Dish
American-market,
Circa 1810-20

A substantial Chinese Export porcelain serving dish … Read more Canton Maritime: Chinese Export Blue & White Oval Serving Dish
American-market,
Circa 1810-20

A substantial Chinese Export porcelain serving dish of oval form, dating to the early 19th century.

Decorated in a rich, dark-toned underglaze blue, the central well features a lively maritime landscape. The scene depicts a series of islands populated by clustered buildings and pagodas, separated by a river with sailing vessels. A prominent feature is a large, two-masted flat-bottomed boat in the foreground, detailed with sails and rigging.

The decoration is framed by bands of dense diaper pattern (geometric trellis). A wide band encircles the rim, while a matching band defines the central well, bordered on the inside by a narrow band of "X" motifs.

Measurements:
Width: 19 inches (48.3 cm)
Depth: 16 inches (40.6 cm)
Height: 2 inches (5.1 cm)

Historical context

By the early 1800s, blue-and-white “Canton” ware had become a staple of Western dining tables, shipped from the port of Guangzhou as part of the lucrative China trade. These wares typically feature idealized scenes of Chinese riverside life—pavilions, bridges, boats, and distant mountains—framed by geometric borders that helped identify specific patterns and workshops. Closely related to the finer “Nanking” group, Canton porcelain was admired particularly in America as both a practical service and a symbol of status and cosmopolitan taste.

(Ref: NY11024-carx) See less