2022-4-9

在华盛顿美国历史博物馆里，有一套法国瓷器非常引人注目，鹤立鸡群，那是美国第十八任总统葛朗台夫人在白宫时专门定制的总统官窑：

类似的一套官窑，在白宫内也有展览，都是1869和1873年之间烧制的。每一个盘子，上面精心手绘的花卉都各不相同。

• These French porcelain serving pieces, including a compote, a cake stand, and a dinner plate, were made by Haviland & Co. of Limoges, France, between 1869 and 1873. President Grant first ordered a state china service featuring this pattern in 1869 and reordered supplemental pieces in 1873 ahead of the White House wedding of his daughter, Nellie. 

• Each piece of the Grant White House China was decorated with a different hand-painted festoon of flowers, fruits, or leaves. A hand-painted lily is showcased in the center of this 9-1/2” soup bowl. A label affixed to the back of the bowl reads: “This plate was in undefined the White House During President Grant's Term of Office.” The bowl sold for $3,125.

每一个盘子都一丝不苟，精益求精。而且这些盘子，在格兰特总统下台之后，都按照规定，留在了白宫。

格兰特总统夫人出身贫寒，但也出生入死，追求享乐，见过大世面，任内接待过李鸿章，他在欧洲选购的369件套的中国外销瓷，其中的二十六个瓷盘，中间图桉就是一条大鱼，说明虽然她后来贵为第一夫人，却也标标准准，是一个吃货。

• Having an affinity for Chinese porcelain, the Grants chose this beautiful 8-1/2" fish plate while touring Europe. The Grants used the plate with earlier Chinese porcelain they had purchased.

• THE HANDSOME LARGE GILT MUSHROOM KNOP, AS WELL AS THE DISTINCTIVE PERSONAL MONOGRAM, U.S.G. THE MONOGRAM IS INTERTWINED, WITHIN A LAUREL WREATH AT TOP CENTER. 

还有与之相配套的一只广彩潘趣碗。

• President Grant's rose medallion punch bowl, 6 1/2” tall and a diameter of 16”, from service of 360 pieces ordered in 1868. Used by the family in the White House. Sold for $12,075 in 2015. 

这些中国外销瓷，虽然也都是官方定制，可是在总统卸任后，都随之搬走了。可见格兰特总统和第一夫人对外销瓷的喜爱程度，不下于法国瓷。