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Tea bowl and saucer

late 18th century

Here images of Venus are juxtaposed without any strong structural coherence. They were likely selected by the Chinese potter from several different larger European compositions and rearranged to decorate these two pieces. Nevertheless, with their repeated portrayal of Venus and sharing the theme of love, the images relate well with each other.

Hard paste porcelain

tea bowl: 2 x 3 7/16in. (5.1 x 8.7cm)

saucer: 5 1/2in. (14cm)

Gift of Mrs. Frank H. Molitor in honor of the museum's 50th year

84.66

Photo: Paul Macapia

Now on view at the Seattle Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, "Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe", February 17, 2000-May 7, 2000 (2/17/2000 - 5/7/2000)

Tacoma, Washington, Tacoma Art Museum, "Russian America: The Forgotten Frontier", July 27- October 21, 1990, (7/27-10/21/90); Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, Alaska, (11/18/90 - 2/10/91); Alaska State Museum , Juneau, Alaska (5/10-11/17/91); Oakland Museum, Oakland, California, (6-9/92)

Published ReferencesEmerson, Julie, Jennifer Chen, & Mimi Gardner Gates, "Porcelain Stories, From China to Europe", Seattle Art Museum, 2000, pg. 257

Johns, Christopher M.S. China and the Church: Chinoiserie in Global Context. Oakland: University of California Press, 2016; p. 58, reproduced fig. 16.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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