Early Chinese
Export Cider Pitcher
Freed from British Trade
restrictions following the American independence, Americans lost no time in
establishing trade with China. The first American ship involved in the
China Trade was the "Empress of China," which sailed from New York
in 1784. Other American merchants quickly followed and began importing
teas, spices, silks, and ceramics like the cider pitcher seen above.
Chinese porcelain was a particularly important item. By the time
Americans entered the China Trade, the Chinese had already developed certain
stock patterns, several of which used Masonic symbols. Since symbolism
plays an important part in Chinese art, Chinese decorators must have felt a
degree of familiarity in working with designs and symbols. The most
common stock pattern imported in the American trade is made up of polychrome
symbols with either a star or grapevine border like the cider pitcher
above. The design includes the pillars and mosaic pavement and arranged
around them are the beehive, a Chinese type work bench and tools, square and
compasses, Bible, and a smooth ashlar fitted with a handle. Other
versions include only the sun, moon, stars, and a cloudy canopy interpreted as
stylized Chinese rain clouds.
Another type of Masonic
decoration imported to America were personal monograms with a pseudo-armorial
design of Masonic emblems. The forms of Masonic decorated China Trade
porcelain are primarily mugs, punch bowls, tea and coffee pots, and more
rarely, entire tea sets. The notebook of an American trader dated 1797,
in the collection of the Rhode Island Historical Society, lists the
"Price current at Canton for Chinaware" and includes 1 to 1 1/2
gallon Masonic bowls for 2 to 3 dollars each, and Masonic pint mugs for 20
dollars a hundred. Most of this porcelain was for private use, although
the history of some of the larger punch bowls definitely suggests that they
were used in Lodges.
A special "Thanks"
to Brother Al Lohman, a 30 year collector and 30+ year
Masonic Lodge member from Wisconsin for submitting the pictures of this
beautiful pitcher. Al trades on eBay under the User ID
"lochlohman"
