Lidded Bowl

A French silversmith constructed this covered bowl from porcelain imported from Japan. The handles on the bowl extend from scrolling acanthus straps that are hinged to the rim and foot, with their floral motifs reflecting the flowers on the porcelain. From the mid-1600s onward, larger quantities of porcelain from China and Japan began to be imported into Europe. In the 1700s, dealers of luxury goods called marchands-merciers purchased the porcelain directly at auction or from one the East Indies companies and passed it to metalworkers to decorate. Often the porcelain was altered in some way to take the mounts, sometimes creating completely new forms.