“Arms of Liberty” punch bowl

This punch bowl's pseudo-armorial was satirically drawn to poke fun at English political figures of the late 1760s for their opposition to John Wilkes (1727-97). A proponent of civil liberties and American independence, Wilkes was elected several times to the House of Commons, but repeatedly expelled for attacking King George III and his loyalists. Acquired in 1914, this bowl was the first Chinese Export porcelain object to enter the Institute's permanent collection.