Tobacco Leaf

This extravagant design was originally made in China, probably for export to the Portuguese and Brazilian markets. Of all the 18th century dinner patterns, this was the most highly prized. A small phoenix bird perches on the leaves of the flowering Nicotiana (Tobacco) plant. Twenty-seven colors and 22k gold make up this pattern based on an original in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This pattern, one of the longest running patterns by Mottahedeh, continues its strong popularity today, showing that good design is timeless.