Page 29 - Met Museum Export Porcelain 2003

31.Pieces from a Table Service.
Chinese (Portuguese market),
ca. I760-65. Hard paste and enameled
copper. H. of bottle cooler (.203)
8 in. (20.3 cm). Helena Woolworth
McCann Collection, Gift of Winfield
Foundation, I95I (5I.86.I90-.2o6)

Oneof threetableservicesmadefor
Dom Gasparde SaldanhaeAlbuquerque
(b. ca. i720), this one is unusualfor
the numberand variety of itsforms
andfor the inclusionof nearlytwo dozen
dishcoversenameledon copper(one is
placedon the deepcovereddishat the
left). Whatwe recognizeas a table
service,with its complementof matching
objectsforeveryaspectof dining, came
into beingin Continentalsilver and
porcelainin the earlyi74os. Services
variedgreatlynot onlyin size but in the
unequalnumberof theircomponent
parts;howeverorganized,the average
service after about I75o comprised
betweenio5 and3oopieces,approximately.

The iconographicalprogramof the
Saldanhaservice,featuringan
unidentifiable,wreathedhaunchand
an abundanceofgame,fruit, and
vegetabletrophies,was obviously
designedspecificallyin accordance
with Saldanha'staste.

31