Chinese parlor
Winterthur Museum
18th C
Trade with the Far East, and the tea trade in particular, inspired a popular liking for oriental motifs in the elite decorative arts of eighteenth century America. Chinese architectural forms are worked into the design of the furniture in this room. The hand-painted wall-paper depicts life in a Chinese village and gardens, including tea-drinking scenes.
Mrs. George Watson (oil on canvas)
John Singleton Copley
1765
Elizabeth Oliver Watson was the wife of a prominent Plymouth merchant and Loyalist. The porcelain vase featured in the portrait was a chinese import, an example of the Watsons' expensive possessions, and an emblem of feminine beauty.
Porcelain plate, from John and Abigail Adams' dinner service; used at their home in Quincy.
Chinese import
ca.1765
There were many connections between the Adams family and merchants of the China trade, and it is likely that this dinner service was a special order. Indeed, this kind of floral decoration is highly unusual among Chinese porcelain services of the period. The decoration of the plate's border, however, is typical of the mid-18th century porcelain exported from Canton.
Porcelain toddy jug painted with eagle, ship and "Mary Swift."
Chinese import
1784-85
This toddy jug was probably brought from China in 1785 by John White Swift of Philadelphia, the purser of the ship The Empress of China, as a wedding present for his brother Charles and new wife Mary. Surrounding the eagle is an appropriate inscription for this period of American commerce: "By virtue and valour we have freed our country, extended our commerce, and laid the foundation of a great empire." Opposite the eagle panel is the painting of a ship, and between these panels the jug is inscribed "Mary Swift." Note juxtaposition of the Chinese dragon, American eagle, and commercial and domestic themes in this piece.
Detail of previous
1785
Detail of previous
1785
The Montesquieu
ca. 1810
By the early 19th century, Americans had developed their own thriving trade with China. This ship was owned by Stephen Girard, an important American merchant during the first quarter of the 19th century. This ship made frequent voyages to Canton, and was among the most efficient of its time.
The Entire Cargo of the Ship Missouri from Canton
ca. 1802
A manifest of the ship Missouri, probably after a trip from Philadelphia to Canton in 1802. Includes several kinds of tea, as well as tea pots and services.
Chinese watercolor painting showing workmen packing tea in a merchant's shop in Canton.
ca. 1810
The Hongs at Canton (oil painting)
ca. 1810
The Hongs were foreign warehouses which lined the warfs of Canton harbor, and served to store tea, porcelain wares, and other exports. Flags fly before each country's place of business. The American flag is at center.