Tea bowl

Customised products were made for export to the European market by Chinese manufacturers. Trading partnerships existed between East India Company and Chinese merchants in the port city of Canton (Guangzhou). English clients could have porcelain products made to order in Jingdezhen and then transported to London via Canton on board East India Company ships. The imported porcelain had a dual attraction for Georgian consumers; it was both exotic and cheaper than the English equivalent.

This tea bowl features a typical Chinese figurative design. A biblical text has been added around the rim of the bowl. The line 'But be ye doer of the word, and not hearers only' is taken from the Epistle of St James in the New Testament. The tea bowl and saucer were originally presented to a rector at St James's Church in Piccadilly. Chinese porcelain was harder than European ceramics. It was therefore ideal for tea because it was less likely to crack when exposed to heat. English manufacturers imitated Chinese porcelain, but were unable to match its durability.