Plate

Function: A dish from a service used by the royal court in Sweden during the late 18th century. Acquisition: The dish formed part of the collection of King Karl XV. The collection was donated to the National Museum in Stockholm during the latter part of the 19th century. It was transferred to the Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities in 1963 This object has a high cultural historical value, reflecting China as a country of high quality mass production. The development of relations between China and Sweden and its history in Sweden reflects the modernization phase of the country.History of the ObjectThe dish belongs to the Gripsholm service which was presented to King Gustav III by the Directors of the Swedish East India Company. The service was brought home by the Terra Nova in 1776, having been ordered a year earlier. Initially the service numbered 700 pieces, but these were depleted by frequent use and by 1792 only 336 remained. As interest in Chinese porcelain waned at the beginning of the 19th century, the Gripsholm service also went out of fashion. What remained was auctioned off in 1819. The end of the 19th century brought revival of interest, and King Karl XV and Oscar II set about buying back parts of the service at the antiques market. (Virtual Collection of Masterpieces, http://masterpieces.asemus.museum/Default.aspx)