Jar (bulb pot) 1743 - 1753

This porcelain jar was produced by the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory in England, sometime between 1744 and 1784. Notice how the tiger and floral designs borrow heavily from Chinese and Japanese porcelain. These types of objects are examples of "chinoiserie," a European style reflecting Chinese and East Asian influences. In 18th century Europe, collecting porcelain was a hobby of the aristocracy, especially porcelain that evoked the exoticism of the East. This bulb pot offers a window onto the fashionable world of wealthy Europeans, who would have been keen to show off their cosmopolitan taste. The Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory was known for creating some of the most elaborate and beautiful porcelain in England. To properly understand objects like these, we need to look at the history of collecting, museums, and taste, all of which shape the art of any period.