Dish 1750 - 1760

This beautifully decorated dish was made at the Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory in England in the mid-18th century. The exotic decoration, known as 'famille rose,' is directly imitative of Chinese porcelain, which was highly prized and imported to Europe at this time. The manufactory was established around 1743, and catered to wealthy clients eager to display their refined tastes. The very existence of the Chelsea factory speaks to the economic and social conditions of the time. The elite in England and Europe sought to emulate the art and culture of the Far East, and factories like Chelsea met that demand. Through careful analysis of factory records, auction catalogs, and other historical documents, we can understand the market for these goods, the workshops that produced them, and the social rituals in which they were used. Porcelain collecting was about wealth and power, a way of signaling one's place in a complex social hierarchy.