Thanks to the trade networks of the East India Companies, there was a huge increase in the import of Chinese and Japanese porcelain to Europe. Dishes, goblets and bowls in oriental porcelain became highly fashionable on aristocratic tables for desserts, and they were filled with all manner of fruits and sweets. The variety of decorations and shapes offered guests a moment of exotic, colourful escape from the monotonous monochrome effect of silverware services.
Details