A porcelain teacup with no handle from a set of dinnerware featuring blue and white Chinese lan…

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A porcelain saucer from a set of dinnerware featuring blue and white Chinese landscapes.

Teacup and Saucer

Maker Unknown

Datec. 1820 - 1880

Mediumporcelain

DimensionsTeacup: 2 × 3 1/2 inches (5.1 × 8.9 cm)
Saucer: 1 × 5 7/16 inches (2.5 × 13.8 cm)

Credit LineGift of Dr. Albert Galin.

Object numberOT1970.4.68.a-b

On View

Not on view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextPorcelain products such as this Canton Chinese export cup and saucer were mass-produced and decorated in the seaside port of Canton, China between the 16th and the 20th centuries- exclusively for export to Europe and later to North America. All made by hand, this accounts for the variations in color, size, and pattern of the porcelain. In Europe in the 18th century, after tea met sugar and gained popularity among the common people, the sales of Chinese export tea services rocketed. From 1800 to 1860 the United States was the principal market for all Chinese export porcelain. The ware had no identifying marks before 1890, when the US Stamp Act required all imports to be marked with their country of origin. Canton ware was usually shipped in barrels as ballast to steady the top-heavy Clipper ships, commonly sold along seaports such as Savannah, and considered common kitchenware, not high style. Canton ware patterns usually include a composition of a coastal village scene with teahouse, arched bridges, and willow trees.

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