This dinner plate belongs to a set of four blue-and-white dishes with tea-packing motifs as the main decoration. On the rim is what seems like a border of mulluscous or cornucopia design; possibly part of a larger set as suggested by the underglazed cobalt numbers found on the base of the dishes.This dish can be used to illustrate both the products and influences of the China Trade. Tea and porcelain, main 18th century Chinese exports, are represented in the theme of tea-packing activities and by the porcelain plates.Western drawings and designs, such as the cornucopia motif, were sent to China to be copied on porcelain. The combination of the Western and Chinese designs undoubtedly appealed to the Chinoiserie tastes of 18th century Europe and in turn boosted the trade for porcelain factories in China.
