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Punch Bowl
maker Worcester Porcelain Factory (British, established 1751)
c. 1770
- Medium
- soft-paste porcelain
- Classification
- Ceramic
- Dimensions
- Face: 11.5 x 27.7 cm (4 1/2 x 10 7/8 in.)
- Culture
- England, Worcester
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, Decorative Art and Design
- Credit line
- Given in memory of John MacGregor Jr. and Mary Folger MacGregor, by Mrs. John F. McGuire
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
Encircling the exterior of this bowl are four segments containing fanciful birds with wide eyes, long necks, and colorful feathers. Both the birds and their frames were inspired by Chinese motifs that had been adapted and popularized by the French. During the 1700s, punch drinking was well suited for large social gatherings and served as a popular alternative to tea drinking. In fact, the exotic birds and scrolling cartouches featured on this porcelain punch bowl also adorned many of Worcester’s tea services.
