This small and highly significant exhibition highlights the brilliant work that characterizes Philadelphia's first commercially produced porcelain. Modeled on English prototypes, the surviving ornamental tablewares—diminutive baskets, sauceboats, pickle dishes, and pickle stands decorated with a variety of underglaze blue painted motifs—are relics of the American China Manufactory, which was situated in the Southwark section of Philadelphia and operated between 1770 and 1772.

Today, the few surviving wares documented to the colonial Philadelphia factory are known as "Bonnin and Morris" in honor of the factory's proprietors, British-born Gousse Bonnin and Philadelphian George Anthony Morris. This exhibition assembles the 19 known surviving examples of Bonnin and Morris's soft-paste porcelain for the first time.

Support

This exhibition is supported by The Kathleen C. and John J. F. Sherrerd Fund for Exhibitions, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, the Center for American Art at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Linda H. Kaufman, and Robert L. McNeil, Jr.

Curator

Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley • Associate Curator of American Art

Location

Gallery 286, second floor