Pearlware Tea Bowl and Saucer
Object Details
- Description
- This ceramic, earthenware tea bowl and saucer was manufactured in England between 1820 and 1840. The cobalt-blue flora decoration on the cup and bowl was an attempt at replicating the underglaze blue painting found on Chinese and Japanese china for British use and export. Due to the British connections with tea in the United States, tea drinking decreased in popularity during the 19th century. But, a home tea service remained a symbol of gentility and class—upper classes used pure silver sets, while lower classes used silver luster or ceramic sets to serve afternoon tea and entertain guests.
- Credit Line
- Clare Shenehon Boyd
- ID Number
- 1980.0614.119ab
- accession number
- 1980.0614
- catalog number
- 1980.0614.119ab
- Object Name
- tea bowl and saucer
- Physical Description
- blue (saucer color)
- monochrome, blue (component surface decoration color name)
- flowers (overall description of decoration)
- ceramic, earthenware, refined (saucer material)
- ceramic, earthenware, refined (tea bowl material)
- place made
- United Kingdom: England
- See more items in
- Home and Community Life: Ceramics and Glass
- American Enterprise
- Exhibition
- American Enterprise
- Exhibition Location
- National Museum of American History
- National Museum of American History
- Record ID
- nmah_576893
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-d5a1-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa
Related Content
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.