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.
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 |
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| Styles | |
| Gallery label |
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| 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 created | October 2, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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