A very attractive Chinese export porcelain saucer decorated with natural marine motifs of sepia shells and seaweed with fine gilt detailing, from a tea service made for Oliver Wolcott, Jr. of Connecticut, the grandson of a colonial governor of Connecticut and the son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  He was born in 1760 in Litchfield, Ct, attended Yale and studied law. He was Secretary of the Treasury in Washington’s cabinet after Alexander Hamilton resigned, and continued in the position into the administration of John Adams. He later relocated to New York city and established the trading firm of Oliver Wolcott and Company and started trading with China from 1804 until 1810. That is when he most likely acquired this fine tea service. He then went on to be Director of the Bank  of the United States, and then co-founder of the Bank of America.  He died in 1833, the last surviving member of Washington’s cabinet. The saucer measuring 5″ in diameter, small Y-shaped line to the reverse of the saucer sealed,  and in good condition.  From a prominent American market private collection.