Large Canton porcelain plate with gilt outlines, flower patterns, and a motif of two lions playing with a ball

In the middle of the plate are two lions playing with a rolling ball. The function of this large plate would have been more decorative than practical, and it is most likely a stock item created by ceramics producers in Guangzhou specifically for European merchants. These traditional Chinese patterns have an Eastern aesthetic, reflecting the popular chinoiserie fashion in early 18th-century Europe. The Rococo style reached its pinnacle during that time, and the decorative style of Canton porcelain enamelware, in turn, shifted from Baroque to Rococo.