Hard paste porcelain ...
This 1910 catalogue by Edwin Atlee Barber, printed in Philadelphia for the museum, documents hard paste porcelain and pottery in its collection through plain photographic plates with captions giving dimensions, dates and museum numbers. The pictures show Chinese and Japanese vases, jars and dishes, with dragon, floral and figure decoration in blue, gold and polychrome, plus European plates with painted scenes; a designer might take their balanced layouts, tall gourd vase silhouettes and border patterns for ceramic motifs.
