Dish thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 137, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Dish

ca. 1760-1770 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This dish, made at the Jingdezhen kilns in southern China, is decorated with a Masonic scene, and was probably specially commissioned by a mason or a lodge. The original design may have been taken from an engraving by William Tringham made in 1755. In the scene three figures stand around a wooden box, or the Ark, symbol of the Lodge, looking at plans; close to them are the mason's tools: the gavel, square, compass, level and plumb-rule, which respectively stand for power, morality, God's justice, equality, and uprightness.

The same design appears on other export porcelain, and may represent the constitution of a new lodge. In 1764, Lord Blayney founded in London a Masonic sect called 'The Moderns', and attempted to reconcile the differences with other groups. It has been suggested that the service to which this dish belongs may have recorded such an event.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Porcelain decorated with overglaze enamels and gilding
Brief description
Porcelain dish decorated in overglaze enamels with a masonic scene, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1760-1770
Physical description
Porcelain octagonal dish decorated in overglaze enamels and gilding with three standing figures standing on a tesselated pavement and examining a scroll with plans; in the foreground is a wooden block with masons's tools: the gavel, square, compass, level and plum-rule; in the sky are the sun and the moon.
Dimensions
  • Taken from register diameter: 21.1cm
  • Diameter: 8.33in
Styles
Gallery label
Dish Porcelain decorated in Canton with overglaze enamels Three masters examining plans of a masonic lodge. From an English engraving About 1760-1770 Gulland Bequest(1987)
Credit line
Gulland Bequest
Subjects depicted
Summary
This dish, made at the Jingdezhen kilns in southern China, is decorated with a Masonic scene, and was probably specially commissioned by a mason or a lodge. The original design may have been taken from an engraving by William Tringham made in 1755. In the scene three figures stand around a wooden box, or the Ark, symbol of the Lodge, looking at plans; close to them are the mason's tools: the gavel, square, compass, level and plumb-rule, which respectively stand for power, morality, God's justice, equality, and uprightness.

The same design appears on other export porcelain, and may represent the constitution of a new lodge. In 1764, Lord Blayney founded in London a Masonic sect called 'The Moderns', and attempted to reconcile the differences with other groups. It has been suggested that the service to which this dish belongs may have recorded such an event.
Bibliographic reference
Clunas, Craig (ed.). Chinese Export Art and Design. London:Victoria and Albert Museum, 1987, p. 66, fig. 50.
Collection
Accession number
C.225-1931

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Record createdOctober 2, 2008
Record URL
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