D2010-CMD-007. Tureen in stand. Black background.

Soup tureen and dish or stand

Date1800-1810

MediumPorcelain, hard paste with orange, green, brown and gold

DimensionsOverall Tureen: 12 x 14in. (30.5 x 35.6cm); Dish: 16 in.

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Boys in memory of Barbara G. Boys and Anne Marie Falvey

Object number2009-148,A-C

DescriptionChinese export porcelain soup tureen, lid, and stand, each piece decorated with a version of the American eagle, wings outstretched, a laurel branch in the right proper talons and a cluster of arrows in the left proper talons, an oval medallion suspended beneath the eagle with the initials KBA. Each piece bordered in an apricot band with sepia concentric leaf decorations. The tureen with intertwined strap handles on each side and the lid with a floral finial surrounded with leaves in apricot and gilt highlights, the dish is an oval form with two borders of the above-mentioned apricot border.
Label TextAfter the American Revolution, the United States established direct commercial trade with China and the Chinese responded by decorating porcelain with designs that appealed to the American taste. Perhaps the most recognizable American market symbol is the eagle, often adopted from a stylized version of the Great Seal of the United States. Here the American eagle is painted with wings outstretched holding a laurel or olive branch, a symbol of peace, and a cluster of arrows, a symbol of defense, in its talons.

This tureen was originally part of a large dinner service, likely comprised of over 300 pieces. The decoration was a stock design guaranteed to appeal to a wide American audience, but an oval medallion suspended beneath the eagle allowed for customization through the addition of initials, in this case, KBA. We do not know who this service was made for, but it is very similar to one ordered by John Jacob Ridgway of Philadelphia.
InscribedThe initials KBA appear on each piece in an oval medallion suspended beneath the eagle.
ProvenanceMr. and Mrs. Jack Boys
David Overall, Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Bonham’s, London, June 20, 2006, "The Coats Collection of Chinese Armorial Porcelain," Lot 140
Coats Collection