Sacred Bird Butterfly Dessert Plate

The Sacred Butterfly was a Chinese export pattern of about 1800 and was intended for those who admired the sophistication of placing traditional Chinese motifs of birds, butterflies and flowers on European shapes. The Chinese word for butterfly, tieh, is a pun which expresses the wish that the owner might live to a ripe age. These motifs were rendered with characteristic understatement in the traditional Chinese orange and gold colors in an all-over pattern. The marriage of shape and design was a success and was reproduced in English china of about 1800-1810. Our reproductions are based on originals in Historic Charleston. Dishwasher safe.