Dish with Parasol Ladies 1735 - 1740

This dish, with Parasol Ladies, was made in China, probably in the 1730s, after a design by Cornelis Pronk. It's porcelain, of course, the material that made China famous the world over. But here's the interesting thing: Pronk was Dutch. He worked for the Dutch East India Company, the most powerful trading organization of its day. They commissioned him to create designs that could be made in China and exported back to Europe. This particular pattern shows figures in a fanciful, vaguely Asian setting, painted in underglaze blue. The dish exemplifies the global exchange of goods and ideas that was picking up speed in the 18th century. It also shows the division of labor inherent in capitalism. Pronk conceived the design, but unseen artisans in China, working within a long tradition of ceramic skill, threw, decorated, and fired the piece. So, this beautiful object tells quite a complex story. It is an object of cultural exchange, artistic vision, and skilled craftsmanship, all bound together.