Collector’s Cabinet: Morehouse Famille Rose Porcelain Collection

Morehouse Collection

Famille Rose Porcelain from Canton, China

Rose Medallion Pattern

by Jan Manos

The current Collector’s Corner Exhibit in the entry hall of the Cultural Center is a display of Chinese Export Porcelain owned by the Morehouse family.  Betsy Morehouse stated the china belonged to Dutton and Sandy’s grandmother, Ida Gray Morehouse, who inherited it from her mother’s cousin Cornelia Gray Lunt.  Cornelia’s father was Orrington Lunt, Dolly Lunt Burge’s brother.  Cornelia Gray Lunt wrote in her 1931 Testamentary Directions at age 88, “I give and bequeath to my cousin, Ida Gray Morehouse, my mother’s full dinner set of Royal Canton China.” The dinner service was purchased in the mid-1800s.  Dutton Morehouse remembers seeing a huge barrel in his grandmother’s closet that stored the dinnerware.  Betsy also recalls, “It was legendary in the family and used on special occasions.  The family always heard it ‘came round the horn in a clipper ship from Canton’.”  We are grateful to display this beautiful porcelain and hear about its history.

Chinese ceramics were being made in China 2,000 years ago.  Over time, the shapes and colors and decorations changed.  Introduced to Europe in the fourteenth century, Chinese porcelains were regarded as a luxury and were quite rare.  Early examples that appeared in Europe in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries were often mounted in silver then gilded with gold which emphasized their preciousness. By the early sixteenth century—after Portugal established trade routes to the Far East and began commercial trade with Asia—Chinese potters began to produce objects specifically for export to the West, and porcelains began to arrive in some quantity. 

Early porcelain from China was mostly blue design on white which comprised a significant portion of the export porcelain trade.  These early pieces going to Europe were fashioned after Chinese designs and forms.  As the export trade increased, so did the demand from Europe for familiar, utilitarian forms. European forms such as mugs, ewers, and candlesticks were unknown in China, so models were sent to the Chinese potteries to be copied. Silver and wooden forms probably served as the original source for many of the shapes that were reproduced in porcelain.  Porcelain decorated in blue over white dominated the export trade until the very end of the seventeenth century. 

By the eighteenth-century, Europeans and Americans alike were having Chinese porcelain designed with their coat of arms and with patterns and shapes that reflected the times and their lives.  Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson designed porcelain dinnerware used in the White House.

By the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, the Chinese began making colorful designs and styles and shapes that would compete with the quickly growing porcelain factories in Europe.  Around 1830, one such pattern was “Rose Medallion.” This pattern was, and still is, two hundred years later, very popular and still in production.  

The subject of Chinese porcelain seems complicated but for the sake of simplicity and to encourage collectors, a simple version hopefully will inspire those interested to research the topic more thoroughly. The Morehouse family refers to their collection as ‘Canton China’ because all Chinese porcelain left through the port of Canton in China.  The Morehouse china being displayed is also referred to as Famille Rose Chinese Porcelain.  The word ‘famille’ is a French word meaning ‘family’.  An object called Famille Rose signifies it is in the rose family, and that refers to the glaze which is pale pink. The Famille Rose porcelain shown in the Morehead Collection has three sub categories - “Rose Medallion”, “Rose Canton” and “Rose Mandarin”.  

In the Morehouse Collection, most of the pieces are the “Rose Medallion” pattern.  It is the most prolific of all Famille Rose designs.  It features a central medallion usually depicting a bird, tree peony, and/or rocks surrounded by four or more alternating panels of people then florals with fruits and birds. The panels are outlined by intricate borders of scrolls set against green leaves and pink florals. Bats, butterflies, and birds often decorate the outer edges of a form or fill in the spaces between the reserves.  Rose Medallion services were very popular in America, and we know that Ulysses S. Grant and his wife ordered a large service in the 1860’s as did President James Buchanan who owned a service with his initials in the central medallion. Much later, Gerald R. Ford and his wife Betty also owned a large Rose Medallion service.  The second category of Famille Rose is called Rose Mandarin.  It is a more formalized pattern that depicts Chinese figures in domestic and courtly scenes and pursuing leisure activities. The figural panels are often surrounded by a fanciful border of scrolling foliage, floral, and fauna. This pattern is the earliest of the Famille Rose export designs and examples exist from the 18th century.  The last category is Rose Canton.  It features florals and fauna but no people or medallions. The layout of the designs is more ambiguous, sometimes depicted in panels and sometimes in a more free-form arrangement.

In each of these patterns you often see the same images.  Butterflies represent social happiness, love, and fidelity.  Crickets represent a fighting spirit.  Magpies, commonly depicted on Rose Medallion, are said to attract joy.  The peony symbolizes beauty and opulence.  Dragons represent power, joy, and rebirth. 

Typically, to date Chinese Export Porcelain, look at the hand painted scenes.  The earliest pieces are the most beautifully executed, sharp lines interesting details.  The porcelain may be a bit heavier than objects created later.  As time went on and demand increased, the details and quality often diminished.  A simple way to start determining the age of a piece of Famille Rose is to see if there are markings on the back.  Works done before 1890 will have no mark.  This is the case with the Morehouse china displayed at the Cultural Center. Works done from 1890 up until circa 1920 will be marked “China.” After that, the mark will say “Made in China.”

What draws our attention to this beautiful collection?  Is it the intricate details?  The whimsical flora and fauna?  The curious figures strolling about in gardens or the vibrant play of colors?  Decide for yourself by visiting the Madison Morgan Cultural Center’s Collector’s Corner display.  This exhibit will run through the month of June 2022.

The Morehouse Collection of Rose Medallion China can be viewed at the Madison-Morgan Cultural Center now through June 2022. The Center is open Tuesday-Saturday 10AM-5PM.

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(The Collector’s Cabinet at the Madison Morgan Cultural Center was created to highlight collections of members as well as non-members.  The collections are displayed just inside the front door of the Cultural Center for the enjoyment and education of guests.  If you have a collection you would like to share, or know someone who does, please leave a message for Jan Manos by calling the museum at 706-342-4743.)