Art Institute of Chicago

Punch Bowl

Artist unknown (Chinese, made for the American market)

Date: c. 1769
Medium: Hard-paste porcelain, glaze, with enamels in colors, and gilding
Culture: China
Department: Arts of the Americas
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

This bowl displays portraits copied from a broadside printed in London in June 1768. The portraits depict the Englishmen John Wilkes (left), an outspoken advocate of political reform and American liberty, and Lord Mansfield (right), who tried to silence Wilkes with charges of libel. Satirical coats of arms surround their portraits. Wilkes is flanked by his close associates and defenders, while Lord Mansfield appears with George III and the devil by his side. American colonists viewed Wilkes as an avatar of liberty and free speech.

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