Peapod

Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory

ca. 1755 · Soft-paste porcelain with green enamel · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

During the Red Anchor period (1752-1758), the Chelsea porcelain manufactory celebrated nature through the rustic depiction of vegetables, flowers, and insects on its soft-paste porcelain wares, demonstrating a move away from the strict copying of both Continental and Asian examples. Though trompe-l’oeil porcelain food was the specialty of the factories of northeastern France such as Niderviller and Strasbourg, Chelsea endowed its examples such as this peapod with a charming rustic quality. Fake fruit and vegetables such as this piece would have made a charming addition to lavish place settings at the table.

Artist

Chelsea Porcelain Manufactory

Date

ca. 1755

Medium

Soft-paste porcelain with green enamel

Culture

British

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Bequest of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 2019