A Chinese export porcelain 6 1/4″ plate made for the American Market hand-painted in overglaze blue with gilded details with a central roundel depicting an image of the Fairmount Waterworks (also known as the Philadelphia Waterworks) encircled with diapered and spearhead borders on the rim. In the early years of the American republic patterns such as these were commissioned as sources of pride in our new nation and its engineering and architectural accomplishments. Most often we see examples of this sort of thing in English transfer-printed wares, but here we have a rare example in Chinese export porcelain, and rarer still, rendered in an overglaze blue, the image taken from an engraving of the period.  Other than some minor wear to the gilding this piece is in very good condition and dating to circa 1800.  $3,200.00