Sydney punchbowls porcelain was decorated with a combination of Chinese patterns and Western motifs selected by its commissioner. The Chinese manufacturers sent porcelain samples of decorations to their prospective clients in Europe and the United States and their clients provided the porcelain painters in China with paintings, drawings or sketches for their orders. These dinner wares are categorized into "familles" (French for "families") mainly by the colors they are painted in such as famille verte, noire, jaune and rose. These sets of tableware included all the dishes necessary to set a grand table for a gala dinner. A 1766 order form from
Chinese porcelain in European painting Chinese porcelain in European painting Chinese porcelain in European painting is known from the 16th century, following the importation of Chinese porcelain wares into Europe. In Italy, the first known depiction of Chinese porcelain bowls is from "The Feast of the Gods" by Giovanni Bellini (1514). The style of the bowls is that of the Ming dynasty blue and white porcelain type, maybe examples of which are known to have been exported in Persia, Syria and Egypt. The painting by Bellini was a request by Duke Alfonso I d'Este, who was known for his interest in Chinese porcelain. It seems