A Chinese famille rose 'tobacco-leaf' tureen, cover and stand

The so-called 'tobacco-leaf' design was one of the most popular 18th Century flower patterns on Chinese porcelain. It is generally accepted that it was not deriven from the tobacco plant as its name suggests, but rather from textiles imported by the East India Companies. Cf. D.S. Howard & J. Ayers, China for the West, vol. II, pp. 540-1, where three variations of this pattern are discussed and illustrated.

See illustration