Posted by Beth on July 06, 1997 at 01:39:08:
In reply to Re: China and Porcelain....short answer posted by Caroline on July 02, 1997 at 23:53:51
An antique dealer I heard recently explained that you could see the evolution of dinnerware from China through the variation in shape and design.
Apparently, the first pieces imported to England were made in shapes appreciated by the Chinese. As popularity grew, dishes were made in more traditional Western shapes.
She went on to say that as trade increased, many dishes arriving in England became inferior in quality and were used in the ships as ballast. At some point, the British felt they could copy the patterns from China, thus dishes were made by the British to appear as Chinese for the Western market. The patterns on these dishes were made through transfer techniques rather than hand painting. Therefore, any antique dishes patterned by transfer are English in origin rather than Chinese.
Hope this helps!
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