Plate with the arms of Saldanha for the Portuguese market

This plate formed part of a large dinner service commissioned by the Saldanha de Albuquerque family of Portugal. This service is one of the most unusual Chinese Export services to have been produced during the eighteenth century. Typical services were decorated with family coats of arms, designs copied from European prints, Chinese-style figures or floral motifs. Rather than emphasizing the family's coat of arms, the service celebrates food: a large ham appears in the center, surrounded by fruits, fowl, and vegetables.