Dinner plate from a dinner service made for George Francis Train

Subject or historical figure George Francis Train (1829-1904)

Datec 1856

Object number00030795

NamePlate

MediumCeramic

DimensionsOverall: 249 x 249 x 28 mm, 0.52 kg
Display Dimensions: 294 x 294 x 28 mm

ClassificationsTableware and furnishings

Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds

Terms

DescriptionThis dinner plate is part of a famille-rose dinner service made for George Francis Train, a prominent merchant during the mid 19th century. A particular feature of this plate is the depiction of a large bird painting in the background. Birds and flowers were one of the three main subjects in traditional Chinese art, birds signifying great happiness. The background also features a prominent lone mountain which according to Chinese tradition represents longevity. The fore figure also holds a fly swat which is representative of sweeping away ignorance in favour of self-scholarship. The set as a whole is heavily laden with Chinese pictorial symbolism of which their new owners were often unaware. HistoryIn the early years following the American Revolution there was a demand for Chinese trade to supply manufactured products such as porcelain, silk and tea, which were not yet available in America. This meant that by the 1830s trade routes from America to China were well established. As a result many wealthy families and merchants of the time possessed numerous Chinese manufacture items in their homes. George Francis Train was born in Boston in 1829 and became famous for his entrepreneurial achievements, merchant adventuring and wealth. After a stint as a grocery clerk, Train began his career in shipping in 1845 when he joined his Uncle's Clipper Shipping Business. He established his own shipping firm in Melbourne, Australia in 1853. Throughout his mercantile career, he circumnavigated the globe four times. In 1856 he spent a year in China and it is thought that he ordered this Famill-rose dinner service set during this time. Upon his return to America he invested in steel railways and railroads, formed a Finance Company and built various properties ensuring the growth of his fortune.SignificanceThis particular dinner set is significant as a private commission from such an important historical figure such as George Francis Train. Train had a significant impact on the mercantile scene in Melbourne during his stay there. The set is also representitive of the high quality of porcelain that was part of the export trade to Europe and America prior to and at that time. In 1856 the renowned porcelain factories at Canton were destroyed by fire and the European market was diminishing. These events, in addition to various social and political conditions in China, became part of a general decline in the popularity and quality of export porcelain from China in later years.