Art Institute of Chicago

Two Sauceboats and Two Covered Tureens from the Washington Memorial Service

Artist unknown (Chinese, made for the American market)

Date

c. 1800

Medium

Hard-paste porcelain and glaze with gilding

Culture

China

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Chinese porcelain made especially for export to the United States often displays painted imagery of subjects that appealed to wealthy American consumers, including armorials and marine scenes and commemorations of importnat events. Part of a larger suite, these four pieces were commissioned around 1800 in remembrance of the nation’s first president who died in 1799. Symbols such as the weeping willow, tomb, and eagle, all depicted on these wares, reflect the contemporary mourning for Washington.

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